Glass News November 2020 by Christina Shaw

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THE RIGHT PEOPLE READ GLASS NEWS Issue 116 | November 2020

DIGITAL EDITION

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A brand new dynamic online marketplace for installers to access all the business support toolkits they need.

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MACHINERY FOCUS

Leading training and development provider MRG Services is highlighting the opportunities available to employers to access funded training programmes for their employees. Paul Gray, Operations Director at MRG says: “There has never been a better time to strengthen your business by upskilling your employees. What’s more, we can help you access at least 95% funding from the Government, so there is next-to-no-risk, opportunity.” As Paul says, training and developing employees brings numerous proven benefits to businesses such as increasing output, cutting costs, reducing errors, building confidence and developing a workforce equipped to provide greater input and ideas. As a specialist industry training provider, MRG Services works with businesses across the UK and offers a wide range of qualifications (including the new standards). These include Fenestration Installer L2, Fenestration Fabricator L2, Curtain Wall

Installer L3, Customer Services Practitioner L2, Customer Services Specialist L3, Business Administrator L3, Team Leader / Supervisor L3, Operations / Departmental Manager L5 and Sales Executive L4. As a company listed on the government’s register of apprenticeship training providers (RoATP), MRG Services is eligible to receive government funding to train apprentices, which is why it is able to access 95% funding for learners from the government. The management team has over 20 years’ experience in training and development in the fenestration industry, which ensures a high-quality offer. Businesses benefit from a Skill Scan analysis to identify the most effective qualifications for their workforce. Participants benefit from high quality, flexible, blended learning, comprehensive support resources, the exclusive MRG e-portfolio support resource and additional personal development. Paul concludes: “We all expect business to get tougher in the coming months and developing your employees is one way to help weather the storm. It will also help to boost morale at a difficult time.” For more information about how training can add value to your business, contact us at info@mrgservices.org.uk or call 07710 665402.

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policy and stakeholder communications, ‘thought leadership’ development and the creation of compelling content for PR and digital.

REVOLUTIONARY FLUSH SASH NFA New Product of the Year, the revolutionary double-rebated flush sash Resurgence window from Liniar offers all the charm of a traditional timber window with the benefits of exceptional modern energy efficiency. Resurgence is designed with a range of fabrication options, from mechanically jointed to Timberweld® and is simple to install, with no glass bonding.

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EPWIN WINDOW SYSTEMS’ NEW COLOUR COLLECTION REFLECTS THE LATEST TRENDS IN COLOUR Epwin Window Systems’ new Colour Collection has been designed to help its customers lead the way in colour by offering the latest trends in colour today and the favourites of the future. Gerald Allen, Marketing Manager at Epwin Window Systems, said: “By reflecting the latest colour trends and direction, we can give our customers a clear point of difference.”

something that’s echoed in the popularity of Farrow & Ball colours, for example. Our new colours tap into this trend and take it one step further.”

The new Colour Collection includes an expanded number of popular heritage shades, including Sage, Claystone, Pebble Grey, Anthracite Grey Smooth and Cream on White. Gerald commented: “The new additions to the range reflect the latest market research and feedback from our customers. The trend is for understated, natural shades that recall times gone by – it’s

Gerald concluded: “Our prediction is that the Covid-19 pandemic will mean order values will continue to increase.

As well as introducing new shades, the new Colour Collection makes more colours available from stock. There are also 30 Made to Order colours that includes more of the popular contemporary greys and blacks along with new metallics to capitalise on the growing demand for aluminium alternatives. The new Colour Collection is the latest move in Epwin Window Systems’ investment in colour. The systems company invested in several new twin lines last year and is also using the world’s first Luna R automatic profile wrapping machine to ensure that colour quality is unsurpassed.

“Colour will be a vital part of that shift and our new Colour Collection perfectly places our customers to benefit from any growth.” Tel: 0845 340 3968 www.epwinwindowsystems.co.uk

Stocked in range of modern colours, Liniar’s most recent addition to its window suite delivers patented perfection. A UK first, with double co-extruded bubble gaskets and an external seal discreetly mounted out of sight, Resurgence looks as beautifully as it performs. For more information visit: http://www.liniar.co.uk/upvc-windows/resurgence/

LINIAR’S OUTDOOR RANGE Customers want more choice - and with Liniar’s outdoor range you can offer more than ever before! Liniar’s low maintenance PVCu decking and fencing ranges are designed, manufactured and stocked right here in the UK. Available in a range of styles, a variety of colours and a wide variety of accessories including foiled balustrades to match Liniar windows and doors, outdoor products are the idea opportunity to provide a fully matching finish with a single point of contact for guarantees.

As we progress through post-lockdown life, consumer enquiries for PVCu decking and fencing have skyrocketed – don’t miss out on the chance to provide homeowners with just what they want. Find out more: https://www.liniar.co.uk/outdoor-range/.

NOVEMBER 2020

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OPPORTUNITIES, THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST While in a Chinese takeaway, awaiting my order (socially distanced, of course,) I earwigged on a conversation between two guys, one of whom was covered in streaks of silicone which, I thought, singled him out as a window fitter. Sure enough, that’s exactly what he was, and the conversation centred around the lead times for getting his windows, interspersed with a generous portion of expletives. It turns out that he was playing hell about it taking 8 weeks to get his windows from his fabricator and how it was a ridiculously long lead time. It sounded as if he, like pretty much everyone else in the industry, had a full order book and was struggling to satisfy demand. Indeed, he commented that he was booked up through to the New Year. Whereas hardware was expected to be the sticking point when it comes to fabrication, and understandably given that the Far East is responsible for a large proportion of raw materials, and parts, even if assembly is undertaken in the UK, other factors are contributing to longer lead times. Glass and profile, too, are adding to the problem and it is well known that resin supplies from Inovyn have been interrupted through a power outage at their Rafnes site. This has resulted in not only an interruption in supply of profile but even cases where ongoing jobs have struggled to be completed. Are we to expect general shortages to be the norm for the future? I’m guessing it depends on what products a company is producing and from where they are sourcing materials. In talking with Roger Hartshorn in an interview about his new Sheerline range of aluminium windows systems, the conversation gravitated towards the issue of the supply chain and it became very clear that keeping the supply chain within the UK has significant advantages. Sourcing aluminium logs from the foundry in Wales and feeding it into the 170 tonne aluminium press, based in Derbyshire, makes it a very British product. Add to this, with most components manufactured by themselves and other plastic components manufactured through

October 2020 crossword solution:

their LB Plastics sister company, a very high proportion of the supply chain is controlled by themselves. Reassuring in these difficult times. In another interview, with Brisant Secure’s Nick Dutton, it was brought home to me how our industry is moving towards ever higher quality products. Somewhat naively, I wanted to know how you persuade the homeowner to buy high end cylinders, locks and hardware? A cheap handle compared to, say, one that has gone through a salt spray test lasting for over 8,000 hours like Brisant’s Sweet product, is going to be more expensive. But Nick pointed out that if a homeowner is going to spend £1K to £2K on a new front door, the hardware, however expensive, is going to be a relatively small percentage of the full product price. Makes absolute sense and a relatively easy upsell. I’m presuming that it is everyone’s wish to upsell wherever possible and there are so many high quality products that are offered by our industry that our customers are getting fantastic value and we shouldn’t be afraid to ask a fair price for our goods. Perhaps this is the time when the race to the bottom can be arrested. In another interview, with DOORCO’s Dan Sullivan, it’s clear that the market is buoyant and homeowners are investing in quality products, and companies like DOORCO have taken this opportunity to invest in the future, with people, plant and premises. Of course everyone wants to get the cheapest price for the best product and I suspect a large part of lockdown, and the ensuing months, has been taken by us all searching the internet – usually with words ‘Best price’ in front of whatever search we are making. I know I have! There are many reasons why today’s market may decline in the months to come: end of furlough, reduction in financial help for many, redundancies, increasing taxes, further lockdowns and so on. However, there is no sign of that happening at the moment and everyone’s focus is on obtaining product, wherever they are in the supply chain. The fact is that nothing is easy at the moment but I believe that everyone in our industry is doing all they can to keep their part of the supply chain moving, often under great pressures and difficulties.

‘TIME OUT’ WINNERS – OCTOBER! Sudoku: Mr A Jackson, Milton Keynes

CONTENTS 4

Editor Exclusive Interview: Garnalex

Editor Exclusive Interview: Brisant Secure

Trade News

Editor Exclusive Interview: DOORCO

Trade News

Cold Calling

45 Letters 46

Hardware & Security

Machinery Focus

57 Glass

Spot the Difference: Mrs M Kenny, Rhyl

Which Door?

Software & IT

Installer Focus

Voice Of The Industry

Charity News

Congratulations to all our winners! Good luck in this months Time Out pages!

@GlassnewsMag

Christina Shaw

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Christina Shaw Managing Director / Advertising Enquiries M: 07805 051322 E: christina@glassnews.co.uk

38 Windows

Eye Spy: John Fairhurst, Mansfield

Crossword: Bernie Smythe, Gloucester

CONTACT DETAILS

Emma Champion Advertising Manager M: 07508 263262 E: emma@glassnews.co.uk Justin Lazenby Finance Director / Press Release Enquiries M: 07711 828710 E: justin@glassnews.co.uk

75 BMBI 76

Industry Awards

Careers & Qualifications in Fenestration

Time Out!

Find A Supplier

Chris Champion Editor / Editorial Enquiries M: 07850 267223 E: chris@glassnews.co.uk Kate Carnall Graphic Design E: kate@glassnews.co.uk

glassnews™ is a registered Trademark. The views contained herein are not necessarily those of glassnews™ and whilst every effort is made to ensure information throughout is correct, glassnews™ does not accept liability for errors. The views expressed by contributors and the content of letters, are not necessarily those of glassnews™ and therefore cannot take responsibility.

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By the way, and talking about difficulties, has anyone heard about Brexit recently? I noticed in the paper yesterday that a short piece on the ongoing negotiations (or is it blackmail?) had been relegated to page 18!

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EDITOR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: GARNALEX

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

SHEERLINE KEEPS THE PATENT OFFICE

BUSY WITH ITS INNOVATIVE AND BEAUTIFUL ALUMINIUM SYSTEMS

This is the first time Glass News has combined a Zoom meeting into both an interview and virtual tour with the bonus of being shown both product and the showroom at Garnalex’s Denby based head office. Editor, Chris Champion, talks to CEO of Garnalex Aluminium Extrusion, Roger Hartshorn, and is taken around the showroom by both Technical Product Director, Dave Watts, and Head of Marketing, David Wigley.

The Master Mover AGV robotic controlled tug

Covid-19 has much to answer for, not least, delaying Garnalex’s launch of their Sheerline aluminium system. So how did the Garnalex team deal with the lockdown and when did they get back into production? From re-opening in early June the extrusion line has been producing product and in significant quantities, building up to October being the biggest, producing over £500K in revenue. 2020 may not be the easiest year in which to launch new products but the aluminium system, Sheerline, came to the fore in July and Garnalex tooled up and trained around fabricators requirements to take the product to market. Roger Hartshorn compares the launch with that of Liniar, back in the day. At that time there was turmoil in the market but now, everyone is bursting at the seams with work, so not easy to introduce something new.

Restrictions must have made things very difficult especially when it comes to training on a completely new and innovative aluminium system, so how has Garnalex managed this part, bringing the product to market, and how has technology enabled the process?

With the Classic range launched, the follow up with the Prestige range was delayed by

The opportunity to view the products and have them explained in detail via a Zoom meeting really works. Dave Watts and David Wigley take us around their showroom and demonstrate just a few of the many USPs of the Sheerline system. Innovation is the name of the game and Garnalex has been keeping the patent office busy! Mixing frames with sashes provides four different style windows within the Classic range with Stepped, Stepped Flush, Flush Contemporary and Contemporary and with

Garnalex Warehouse

Profile assembly line

VIDEO LINK

Garnalex update

the Austrian technicians not being able to visit the UK, but now it is all systems go! Prestige will launch in November but how do the two systems differ?

VIDEO LINK

Showroom tour

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper the all-important thin sightlines. Benefits? They’re there in abundance for both the fabricator and installer, not to mention the homeowner. How about clever hinge protectors that interlock and make the windows PAS24 compliant and transform a normal hinge into a high security hinge? The benefits are all there and makes watching the interview essential viewing. Watch a top sash being fitted by one person: lift it on to the locators and you have a working sash – enabling you to then go and look for the screws! A one-man operation. Weight? Remove the sash, fit the frame then replace the sash. Ah, but what about glazing? It’s done for you under factory conditions – now that’s a time saver! I mentioned patents and I really can’t list them all but it’s worth mentioning the corner cleat that gives perfect mitred joints and, with no beads, perfect mitres and no horizontal cut bead lines. The cleat is patented with two bolts pulling the corner together – yep, there’s a patent for the double barrelled gearbox attachment for your cordless drill that allows both bolts to be drawn up together, and help prevent over tightening. The beauty is that a blown IGU can also be changed quickly and easily.

It would be easy to wax lyrical about all the USPs offered by the Sheerline’s Classic aluminium system but that would spoil your watching the interview and seeing for yourself. Roger and his team have been in the industry for a long time and have an abundance of experience in designing and manufacturing window systems. What they have done with Sheerline is pool all their knowledge and design an aluminium system having learned from everything that has gone before. The result is spectacular. Clever innovations such as packers to ensure that an IGU is centralised in the frame before wedge gaskets are applied, and one-piece wedge gaskets, measured, and with cutouts at the corners and manufactured at their own LB Plastics facility. You need a gasket for the front and back, of the exact same length? One is produced and you tear it down the middle to produce two identical gaskets. Shrinkage from the corners? That’s not uncommon, right? There’s a strengthening strip within the gasket to prevent that shrinkage, and includes a continuous seal around the window, with only one join in the top corner. Patented? Yes, that’s another one. I was shown a French casement with a flying mullion that provides a regulation

EDITOR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: GARNALEX sized fire exit and the window looks identical to a bog-standard casement. The attention to detail is very typically Hartshorn: clean lines, precision, practical and innovative. Just a look at the factory and its layout and cleanliness makes you think more laboratory than typical factory. It’s the detail that has been thought through, even down to the gasket used on the clever clip-together cill, that incorporates three parts separated by a thermal break, with the gasket co-exed to the thermal break so no need to silicone to prevent blowback of rain or draughts. Oh, and easy to have one colour inside and another outside with no more large stockholding of every colour combination. What about drainage and those ugly drain covers? Watch the interview and you’ll see how Sheerline negates this problem. It’s interesting that it would have been easy to design a system to purely appeal to the buying public but what they have done with Sheerline is incorporate rafts of benefits for everyone in the downward supply chain. From easy assembly and factory glazed product to reduced stockholding and interchangeable ancillaries between the Classic and Prestige systems. There is even an intermediate sized frame for larger rebates, like a bathroom where a tiled surface is involved.

every part, for full traceability, right back to the billet the product is produced from. Keeping it in-house is also important to Roger and the acquisition of LB Plastics plays a big part in enabling the manufacturing of their own Thermavic® thermal breaks, and that makes them unique. The manufacturing facilities are more than impressive even down to a robotic controlled tug that takes dies from the tool room and an automated process changes dies in just 6 seconds. There are 3 new extrusion lines, 2 new injection moulding machines and a recently purchased wire erosion machine for modifying and developing tooling. What does this all represent in investment terms? With his tongue in his cheek, Roger says £15,228,000.50! £15 million is close enough but Roger is keen to point out that it’s all about doing things right as opposed to being boastful. Launching of products is being carefully controlled as they are here for the long haul. They have pulled together

And Prestige? When is that launched? Does the range include French Windows and frames for composite doors? Will bi-folds and sliders be in the range? It’s all imminent and they already have a range of Part M compliant thresholds ready. If this wasn’t enough there’s also an aluminium lantern that can be as large as 6 metres by 3 metres, thermally broken and all with co-extruded gaskets. Both three and four-way styles will be offered. What Sheerline is aiming for is being able to supply from stock on a 5 day lead time for its stocked range of 11 colours, including dual combinations, with specials available in an amazing 10 days! And much work is being done on the whole manufacturing and delivery service even down to printing

Sheerline Classic

VIDEO LINK

Sheerline Classic demonstration

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

Sheerline Prestige Window Cut Through

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Sheerline Prestige preview

EDITOR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: GARNALEX

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

A first look at Sheerline's Prestige system

a high-end team to continue developing and bringing products to market. Does the anti-dumping question of aluminium from China affect them? With Garnalex being a very UK centric company, no, but there is already evidence of other systems companies looking to Garnalex for extrusion supply as delivery times from China continue to lengthen, and increased prices are inevitable. The aim is to make the buying of aluminium windows as easy and quick as buying PVCu. Although they talk of 5 day lead times, Roger points out that an order made at 11.00 on that morning was being delivered the following day!

Garnalex Inline printing facility

I asked about sliding sash windows? It’s on the list and, as a throwaway, Roger mentions Georgian bars and their own development,

VIDEO LINK

Recent investment

proceeding to show them to me. How are they fixed? Patented. I should have known! Will aluminium ever compete on price with PVCu? Maybe not but it will certainly become mainstream, offering a prestige product. But is it ‘green’, bearing in mind how this issue seems to be at the forefront of thinking? As Roger says, 75% of all aluminium ever made is still in use. Recycling and re-smelting produces virgin product and that makes it pretty sustainable. I look forward to further updates as Sheerline extends its system and, in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this interview. It’s always good fun talking with Roger Hartshorn and his team, and very educational. As they say in the House Of Commons: “I commend this interview to the house”!

VIDEO LINK

Q&A with Roger Hartshorn

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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EDITOR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: BRISANT SECURE

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

QUALITY AND INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS THAT HELP INSTALLERS SELL A DOORSET

Brisant Secure offers the best in security, durability and smart technologies and Nick Dutton talks with Glass News’ Editor, Chris Champion, about the challenges and opportunities provided by the events of 2020.

So where is the company now in respect of products? Best known for Ultion – has it really been five years? 2020 was going to be the year of Sweet but Ultion Smart became the focus but, with that project completed, Sweet is the focus. Testing, having the trendy Rose Gold available, and Sweet with a 20 year guarantee against corrosion, is out in the market. You need to hear about the salt spray that Sweet was subjected to. A year in salt spray and Brisant were confident in offering a guarantee. But why not make that guarantee the headline grabber? There are good reasons.

Meeting up with Brisant Secure’s Nick Dutton on a Zoom link is certainly not the same as chatting face to face but, Nick, like so many others, has embraced the different way we do things now and is not letting the ‘Zombie Apocalypse’ slow down Brisant’s already swift growth.

Nick talks about the recognised standards for salt spray testing and argues that homeowners want hardware that will last as long as their door and not corrode or rot in a few years. And what of the carbon footprint of replacing a pitted letterplate? With installers, fabricators and hardware manufacturers all involved it’s an unwieldy supply chain and could involve replacing a faulty letterplate with the same again….with the same result! Brisant has the answer, not just with the guarantee but the fact that it’s between Brisant and homeowner. Now that makes sense.

Whatever the application, technology has now become even more important for every business but was it difficult to get the sales force and everyone else to be comfortable with this changing world? Were people self-conscious having sales meetings over a video link or talking with customers and seeing and hearing themselves at the same time? Are there any downsides? Nick looks back, reminding us of the days of pagers and chasing around to find a ‘phone box, and the first mobile ‘phones the size of beer crates. As ever, he’s amusing and well worth listening to!

How has the supply chain affected Brisant during 2020? Were they stocked up for Brexit and then found Covid intervened? What happened post 23 March? Stock must have been on the water and needing to be paid for on landing? And with the boom in sales after lockdown what has happened with stock since then?

What happened during lockdown and did Brisant maintain a presence, particularly for the locksmith market? What happens now? Will the market remain strong? Will capacity prevent sales growth and which letter now represents the recovery…U? V? W? Nick reckons most of the alphabet has been used in describing the pace of the UK’s economic recovery . Brisant Secure is very much into the Smart market and it is well worthwhile listening to Nick’s take on how smart technology is growing and the drivers behind it. But where does smart come when comparing the importance of security, smart or price where a homeowner is concerned? Where are product developments going? Is it a matter of upgrading or improving products and, when it comes to smart, do developments through firmware upgrades or apps mean that existing products benefit? Brisant Secure set out to produce quality products, and products that help installers sell doors. If they charge an extra £20 to upgrade a door lock to Ultion that provides better security, or Sweet hardware that isn’t going to pit or rot, that extra money is but a pittance in percentage terms against the total cost of a new fitted doorset. A no-brainer, surely?

VIDEO LINK

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

TRADE NEWS Luminia Select Partner

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TRADE NEWS

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COLIN ST JOHN REFLECTS ON FREEFOAM 30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY Whilst no one could have predicted the tumultuous events and challenges that 2020 has brought, one milestone was always going to be in the calendar - Freefoam Building Products reaching 30 years in business. As part of this anniversary Freefoam are releasing a few short videos featuring key people who have played a significant part in the growth and development of the business. The first video features Colin St John, Commercial Director, who has been with Freefoam for nearly 20 years. He arrived when the business was a simple UK distribution centre, acting as a hub to supply customers around the country, with manufacturing taking place in Ireland. In the intervening years the site has changed and developed dramatically and now features a fully integrated manufacturing and mixing plant, producing and supplying products to service the Groups markets in Ireland, UK and Europe. Colin has been at the centre of these developments and it’s fair to say many wouldn’t have happened without his vision, contribution, enthusiasm and support. Freefoam is a company that values its people, and works hard to develop individuals and create exciting and rewarding

Colin St John, Commercial Director

careers. As a testament to this approach 29% of current employees have been with the business for more than a decade. In his interview Colin also acknowledges the significant part all team members have played in the growth of the company “We value the contribution of every single person who has walked through those gates over the last 20 years.” Today Freefoam has a group turnover of around £65 million, with just over 300 team members. Aidan Harte, CEO summarised “We are proud of everyone who works

at Freefoam and wanted to use our 30th anniversary to highlight some of the people who have made some lasting and significant contributions. Colin’s role in our business has been, and continues to be, very important. He has steered the UK operation through times of economic uncertainly, overseen major site developments and implemented significant growth strategies. We couldn’t have done it without him!” WATCH VIDEO HERE: https://youtu.be/xJpnIxv_jgk

VIDEO LINK

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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EDITOR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: DOORCO

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

DOOR SALES AT AN ALL TIME HIGH AND IMPORTANT NEW PRODUCTS ABOUT TO LAUNCH.

DOORCO HAS MADE GOOD USE OF LOCKDOWN.

It’s always good to talk with DOORCO’s Dan Sullivan: a dry sense of humour and brutal honesty is very refreshing and entertaining. At a time when the market is buoyant but the supply chain tricky, finding out how the ever-growing door company is coping is very interesting. Dan shares his thoughts with Glass News’ Editor, Chris Champion, and raises some good points about how to move forward despite the pandemic.

From having many people visiting their premises in Macclesfield, it’s now ‘all change’. How is DOORCO keeping in touch with their customer base and how has technology made this possible? Is it just a matter of using technology for communication or can the significant investment be utilised throughout the business? As a self-proclaimed technophobe,

Dan has embraced the changes necessary and ensured the right level of knowledge has been brought into the company to drive this aspect of the business forward. Has technology added value to DOORCO’s proposition and has it also reduced costs in some areas?

While the use of Zoom or Teams is helpful, can it replace the interaction of meeting face to face? Dan has firm views about that and, apart from missing meeting people he makes interesting points about the benefits of meeting in a casual or social atmosphere. So, just how busy is it in the industry? And if it’s as busy as it sounds, how does a company like DOORCO who rely on bringing some product in from places like the Far East provide a good service to their customers? From writing business plans as to how to reduce the size of the business, during the dark times, it’s a very different picture now, so how can DOORCO ramp up for the additional demand? Investment in people, stock, transport? And do we have the confidence to make those investments? What of lead times and the expectations of the consumer? What has driven the expectation of shorter and shorter lead times? How did the expectation of short lead times come about?

And what of demand and will the end of furlough mean that incomes dry up and the boom in sales slow? Survival of the fittest…with the demise of some companies: does this mean opportunities for the survivors? New products? Have you used the time to develop products and bring new ones to market? Dan’s answer to this one is very interesting and there are important new products imminent. The USPs are important to fabricators and are game changing when it comes to stocking door blanks. It seems the homeowner has looked at the range of products and used these strange times to seek out something new. Certainly DOORCO’s best seller list has changed, to everyone’s surprise. The burning question is why? That may have something to do with marketing and DOORCO’s embracing of the marketing opportunities that exist. There’s the FIT Show next year and even virtual exhibitions – do they have a place in the marketing mix? Listening to Dan Sullivan being very open about his business and his products is very worthwhile. For many companies there’s a light at the end of this Covid tunnel and it seems DOORCO is well placed to take full advantage of the opportunities.

VIDEO LINK

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

2020 2020 2019 2019 2018 2018 2017 2017 2016 2016 2015 2015 2014 2014 2013 2013 2012

Enhanced marketing support offering, to support installer partners. Sales in excess of £250m. Enhanced marketing support offering, to £1m investment plants, machinery and support installer across partners. fleet; major expansion at Glazerite Northwest. Sales in excess of £250m. Capacity to manufacture 4000fpw. £1m investment across plants, machinery and fleet; major expansion at Glazerite Northwest. Portfolio now includes over 7000 products. Capacity to manufacture 4000fpw. G18 Award finalist. Portfolio nowDivision includescreated over 7000 products. New Specials to manufacture G18 Award finalist. and Imagine Bi-Fold and VS, R9, R7, Warmcore Patio doors. G17 Award winner. New Specials Division created to manufacture Glazerite opens following VS, R9, R7,East Warmcore and Imagine Bi-Fold and acquisition CityAward Beadswinner. Ltd, increasing Patio doors.ofG17 capacity and adding Halo to the range. Glazerite East opens following acquisition of City Beads Ltd, increasing capacity and adding Halo to the range. Portfolio expanded to include R9, Solidor, and Imagine Bi-Fold & Patio doors. Secured by Design accreditation on Composite and French doors. R9, Solidor, Portfolio expanded to include and Imagine Bi-Fold & Patio doors. Secured by Design accreditation on Composite and French doors. We become VEKA’s largest UK trade fabricator, manufacturing 2200fpw.

2012 2011

We become VEKA’s largest UK trade fabricator, manufacturing VEKA Infinity added to our2200fpw. portfolio.

2011 2010

VEKA Infinity added to portfolio. Glazerite Northwest in our Bolton opens; we move to new HQ in Wellingborough.

2010 2009

Glazerite Northwest in Bolton opens; we New range launches; movecomposite to new HQdoor in Wellingborough. Glazerite Southwest opens.

2009 2008

New composite door range launches; Accredited with ISO9002 & BS7412; Glazerite Southwest opens. achieve BFRC ‘A’ Rated window.

2008 2007

Accredited with ISO9002 & BS7412; achieve BFRC ‘A’ Rated window.

2007 2006 2006 2005

10 year guarantee on all products and bespoke online ordering system launched. 10 year guarantee on all products and bespoke online ordering system launched.

2005 2004

£700k investment increases capacity to 375fpw.

2004 2003

£700k investment increases capacity to 375fpw.

2003 2002

Joined Network VEKA; expanded premises.

2002 2001

Joined Network VEKA; expanded premises.

2001 2000 2000

0 - 4000 in less than 2 decades 0 - 4000 in less than 2 decades

Glazerite founded by Jason Thompson and John Hewitt from 1000 sq ft factory in Wellingborough, Glazerite foundedNorthants. by Jason Thompson and John Hewitt from 1000 sq ft factory in Wellingborough, Northants.

Quality, choice, service and support for customers…that’s what we founded Glazerite on 20 years ago, Quality, choice, service and support and they’re still at the heart of our for customers…that’s what we business today. founded Glazerite on 20 years ago, and rapid they’re still at the heartto ofthe our Our growth is testament success oftoday. our installer partners. It’s business been shaped with support from our Our rapid growthsuppliers, is testament to the range of leading and delivered success ourcommitment installer partners. thanks toofthe of ourIt’s been shaped with support from our dedicated team. range of leading suppliers, and delivered Today are commitment a leading fabricator thankswe to the of our with adedicated comprehensive team. product portfolio of trusted brands. Our manufacturing Today we combined are a leading fabricator with expertise with a customerafocused comprehensive portfolio of ethos andproduct investment trusted brands. Our programme gives ourmanufacturing installer partners expertise combined a customereverything they needwith to thrive now and focused ethos and investment in the future. programme gives our installer partners everything they need to thrive now and in the future.

UK Group Limited UK Group Limited

Tel: 01933 443222 Email: sales@glazerite.net

www.glazerite.co.uk

Tel: 01933 443222 Email: sales@glazerite.net

www.glazerite.co.uk

glass news - fabricator0120.indd 1

27/01/2020 00:28

glass news - fabricator0120.indd 1

27/01/2020 00:28

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ADAPTING TO A CHANGING WORLD: HORTON’S GOES DIGITAL Rob Horton, Managing Director for Horton's Building Plastics, discusses how the company’s outlook continues to adapt – during 2020 in particular, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes in consumer purchasing behaviour.

HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED "Sales before the pandemic were good; we were working on our new state-of-theart showroom and looking at opening an additional branch further north," explains Rob. "We, like all other businesses, were closed during the majority of lockdown and of course our sales were impacted heavily during that time. I knew what needed to be done – it was as if someone had flicked a switch, and I had to jump on the opportunity fast!

The new version of ‘business as usual’ is now a far cry from that at the start of the year. According to the Bank of England, more than a third of everyday shopping is now carried out online.

“We already had an e-commerce site set up in its infancy, so we worked hard during lockdown to get it built and finished – and by the time we reopened, having put a logistics solution in place to deliver the goods, the new website was ready to launch.

In terms of the fenestration industry, more homeowners and installers began choosing to buy the products they need through e-commerce instead of brick and mortar establishments. In an industry that until recently had been primarily an in-person business, this required action in order for companies to survive and thrive.

“Upon reopening, our sales were higher than ever – in fact, they had increased by nearly 100%! But it was clear that many of our business and retail customers were not comfortable coming into enclosed spaces such as our branches to buy the things they needed to complete their projects, so the e-commerce site really came into its own.

For Rob, the pathway was obvious. An e-commerce website to complement the company's Midlands-based trade counters was the way forward, and this summer the innovative company took the necessary steps to create just that.

“We focused on making the site more than just a storefront but a customer hub too, investing £20,000 in total. The site consists of an online storefront showcasing our full range of Liniar PVCu building products and other items, with the customer experience very similar to an online supermarket

checkout, so it’s simple to use. Visitors can choose to safely ‘click and collect’ their order from their nearest Horton’s trade counter or select a delivery slot a time that is convenient for them."

PUTTING HEALTH AND SAFETY FIRST Whilst health, safety and welfare have always been a consideration for businesses, they are much more at the forefront of the decision-making process now.

For Horton's, the safety and security of its employees and customers is paramount. "The new online system provides customers with a safe way to get the supplies they need but also limits the in-person contact to a minimum. We're living in a new age of ever-changing guidelines that we need to adhere to keep everyone safe and healthy. And as we come out of the other side of this pandemic, Horton's will be in a good place with new, digital systems we can rely on and that customers will appreciate," comments Rob. "These new systems were not only needed for the current climate, but they will also future-proof our business as we move forward with new and emerging technologies."

NEW TRADE COUNTER To further support its customers in both an in-person and digital capacity, Horton’s will shortly be opening a new trade counter, with direct links in and out of Cheshire. Having an additional trade counter provides customers with a further ‘click and collect’ location whilst also serving its customers in person further North of its current Stokeon-Trent locations. For more information about Horton’s Building Plastics, including the Liniar products offered, visit www.hortonsbuildingplastics.co.uk.

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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DESIGN, SELL AND PLACE ORDERS

THROUGH A SINGLE SALES TOOL “We started trialling Windowcad, the API, and Window Designer with the T&K sales team early in the summer. We’ve gone through a number of refinements since then to make sure that what we’re launching works for our customers in a retail environment.”

Emplas has launched a new retail tool which simplifies remote-selling while offering seamless integration with ordering processes. This includes, allowing installers to change window colours and designs in seconds, swap in and out different glass specifications, and apply the options chosen to a digital image of any property, either remotely or in the home. It also automatically pulls in pricing for each job, changing instantaneously as specifications are adjusted, before automatically pulling that data into Emplas production systems.

In addition to the ability to take the homeowners through the sales process remotely, Emplas also created a ‘digital signature’ system, which can be used to record and register approvals in exactly the same way as they would a handwritten one.

Jody Vincent, Sales Director, Emplas, said: “On the frontend, the bit that you actually use to sit down with the homeowner and use to sell and design windows and doors, we’re using WindowCAD.

“COVID-19, makes the operational and efficiency gains that WindowCAD integration with Window Designer can deliver, a real benefit as more of the UK goes into lockdown”, said Jody.

“It’s a great tool, you can develop designs in real time with the homeowner, either in person or remotely – but it’s not unique to us.

“Moving to the digital integration of your sales process and operations, simply, however, makes sense. You’re delivering better customer experience and saving time. That’s important when the industry is seeing a boom – and even more important when it’s not.”

“What is unique is the integration we can offer with our ordering processes. Our inhouse developmental team has created an API [Application Programme Interface], which allows WindowCAD to ‘talk’ to Window Designer, and export the data to it. “It transforms the sales process, while delivering tangible efficiency gains by removing process.” In addition to supporting installers in selling more effectively, placement of orders from WindowCAD, directly into Window Designer, means there is no requirement to input data a second time, it’s pulled through as soon as the order is approved. Emplas has also developed a further interface so that quotations are automatically created, pulling in terms and conditions, relevant organisational memberships and service

Jody Vincent, Sales Director, Emplas

level agreements, modelled on those developed for T&K Home Improvements, Emplas retail business. “We started trialling Windowcad, the API, and Window Designer with the T&K sales team early in the summer. We’ve gone through a number of refinements since then to make sure that what we’re launching works for our customers in a retail environment”, continued Jody.

For more information on Emplas visit www.emplas.co.uk, email info@emplas.co.uk or call 01933 674880.

“And it does. It’s proven. It’s allowed the team to sell more effectively; delivering a better and more professional service to the end-user; but the automatic pricing, the automatic pull-through of a professional quotation pack - and then the ability to place that order in seconds, without additional data input, is a definite commercial advantage. You’re getting time back and eliminating error.”

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

THE PANDEMIC

Hardware distributor Carl F Groupco has pulled out all the stops to maintain service levels during the ongoing corona crisis and three people played key roles during the initial lockdown when the world as we knew it ground to a halt. The main trio that stepped into the breach were Eddie Barnard, Tim Groves and Lyn Richards. During the initial period of the pandemic Eddie’s main priority was ensuring payments were coming in and going out, Tim managed Carl F Groupco’s Peterborough warehouse and Lyn offered general sales support.

In this article we talk to Lyn who celebrated her fourth year working for Carl F Groupco in March this year when the pandemic took hold in the UK. In her role as Office Administrator, Lyn had gained wide ranging experience across the company including supporting internal office staff, providing

Tim Groves Warehouse Supervisor, Carl F Groupco

Carl F Groupco’s Peterborough hardware distribution building

phone back up and being on hand to assist field sales personnel. Lyn explains the impact of the news of coronavirus and how she had a strong desire to be in the front line in the office: “At the time the pandemic took a hold I was on holiday with my husband in Spain. We were lucky, we only had a couple of hours delay for our flight home. On our return, we were asked to self-isolate for a week and from then on the impact of the virus on the country snowballed. I initially set myself up to work from home but, as the lockdown was put into place and much of our industry closed overnight, we needed to keep supply going for those who remained open. I support all aspects of the organisation, so it made sense that I should be one of the team to go into our Peterborough distribution centre to provide this service. This worked for me as I am a hands-on person and it helped to keep a level of routine throughout lockdown. We didn’t really stop to think, a job had to be done and the business had to keep supporting our customers so we just got on with it and pulled together. Our Cumbernauld distribution centre was closed until August so we also serviced our Scottish customers from Peterborough. Carl F Groupco has always had a can

do attitude and this situation proved the strength of our unity and commitment. It was a great feeling that we pulled together and found solutions. The phones were red hot with enquiries and a number of calls were from members of the public who were ringing round to try to source hardware. We helped everyone as best we could with limited resources and our suppliers did too - everyone was working with a skeleton staff, but every organisation we dealt with did all they possibly could to source and supply what was needed. I had some initial thoughts that I might finish an internal ISO 9001 auditor training course I am doing… but that went on hold immediately as we were just too busy. But there’s always an upside – my fitness level went up as we hot footed it down to the warehouse to check stock and help people out by taking photographs of products… in normal days before lockdown, colleagues would have sent catalogue images but we weren’t always so familiar with colours and finishes and it was a quick and easy solution to take a picture. We found lots of work-arounds to provide answers to get information to customers. Looking back on it now it feels surreal… you wonder if it really happened and how

Lyn Richards, Office Administrator, Carl F Groupco

we coped, but we just got on with what needed doing. Slowly everybody started to come back and suddenly it felt like the lights had been switched on, PCs were humming and everyone got busy really quickly. With other people back in the office I could catch up with my ongoing work, but by then I had so much paperwork I couldn’t see my desk! Good always comes out of any situation and the pandemic has proven the strength of team work within our organisation, with our customers and suppliers. Everyone pulled together, nobody had to be asked to take a job on, we just rolled our sleeves up and dived in. And I have gained closer relationships with some of our customers… the crisis meant a strong shared experience and I have got to know some of our customers really well and that relationship has continued. Looking forward, the uncertainty of the pandemic sadly continues so we deal with today because rules might change tomorrow but one thing is certain… you can rest assured that we will do everything in our power to fulfil our deliveries and to respond to each and every enquiry.” By Lyn Richards Office Administrator, Carl F Groupco www.carlfgroupco.co.uk

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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‘IT’S SALES JIM – JUST NOT AS YOU KNOW IT’ Sternfenster has transformed its approach to sales, pulling reps in off the road since lockdown to focus instead on increased customer support. We talk to Nathan Court, Sternfenster’s Sales Director, about the changing face of sales. It’s a model that has been a part of the window and door industry since its inception. The rep on the road. Then came the watershed moment – March 23rd 2020 Lockdown. Suddenly ‘pressing the flesh’, ‘popping in for a cup of coffee’ and dinners with customers, lost some of their appeal. These functions clearly only a part, of the traditional sales model, nonetheless ones that have been difficult to sustain since COVID-19 and let’s face it, while the sentiment may be there, fist and elbow ‘bumps’ are just a little awkward! And while many within the industry are back clocking up the miles and time on the nation’s motorway networks, others have taken the opportunity to reinvent their sales model. “We were looking to change and adapt our sales model preCOVID. We always felt that we could work more effectively if our people weren’t in the field so much. If you’re in a car or out it’s very difficult to be effective, to get things done and sorted for customers. “You go in, pick up actions and then you’re on to your next appointment, without the time to do the work. It didn’t make sense and it didn’t allow us to deliver the service we wanted to, to our customers.” In this sense, COVID-19 accelerated change, giving new impetus to a path it was already pursuing. This led to a restructure at the start of this year, taking three field reps

off the road, with the remaining two splitting the country between them, but spending more time office based and supported by an expanded customer service team. “It didn’t make any sense. Our salespeople were some of the most knowledgeable and technically capable members of our team but they were spending most of the day travelling from appointment to appointment clocking-up 1,000miles plus”, Nathan continues. “What value does that add over a video chat or call? It’s not that we’re not going out and seeing our customers. We are but it’s with a purpose. For me, the ‘casual’ drop-ins are a thing of the past.” He argues that rather than reducing contact, reigning in the time its reps spend on the road has done the opposite, making them more accessible and able to support customers more effectively. This has contributed to a 40% uplift in turnover from pre-existing accounts year-on-year and not counting new customers.

CULTURE CHANGE To get there Sternfenster has had to re-skill members of its sales team. This has been built around a new customer contact process and reporting methodology. It has also meant bringing sales personnel up to speed on remote working tools including Teams, Zoom and SharePoint. “We’ve been on a journey. I have guys working for me with 20, 30, 40 years’ experience on the road. It’s been a transition to get to a point where they’re confident with the tools that they’re using. The same goes for customers. For some the transition was very easy, for others the idea of a video call was completely alien. For me, that’s where COVID-19 has accelerated delivery. “It would have been harder to persuade some of our customers to adopt video calling if COVID hadn’t been there. In a sense it wasn’t only us saying could you do a remote meeting, it was the Government saying that they should”, Nathan reflects.

Nathan Court, Sales Director, Sternfenster

emailing in a lot more, which provided a cleaner audit trail and allowed our customer services team to work more effectively. “Moving more of our customer services function onto Teams continues to maintain that ‘paper trail’ but is a much more personable platform with the ability to chat with or call key contacts direct.”

CONSUMER LEAD GENERATION This adaptation is consistent with the approach that Sternfenster has brought to its retail support offer. The trade fabricator generates leads through its own website, chatbots, social media and downloads them direct into its members own micro CRM dashboard in real time. Accessible by phone as well as laptop or desktop, it means installers can also download and follow-up leads while out on site. Called Easy Admin, it also allows customers to track leads, prepare professional quotes, check profit levels, order online, and auto-generate invoices and reports. Sternfenster also offers a number of sales accelerator tools to its customers. This includes its online quote engine, which allows homeowners to select products and instantly build prices. This can be styled and custom designed to reflect its customers own brands and offers. Members of the Sternfenster Approved installer network also get access to a branded sub-site with dedicated postcode search; e-marketing tools, SEO support, as well as subsidised website development delivered through Sternfenster’s digital partner, ICAAL. “The incredible demand that installers have seen over the past seven or eight months has in also made them more willing to adopt new ways of working that get the job done, while saving them a bit of time”, Nathan says. “They don’t want a rep calling and taking an hour or more out of their day because they don’t have the time – they’re too busy!” For more information visit www.sternfenster.com email sales@sternfenster.co.uk or call 01522 512525.

INCREASED CONTACT The net effect, he argues, is that customer contact has in fact increased rather than decreased. Key accounts and members of Sternfenster’s installer network, get regular contact through Zoom, teams or calls and detailed in-person sixmonthly reviews with their account managers. They can also contact and chat with the customer services team through Teams. “One of the things that has happened is that we have moved away from reliance on phone calls. Customers were

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

TRADE NEWS

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

ROOMS WITH A VIEW

Combining the aesthetic appeal of traditional steel windows with the highperformance benefits of a modern aluminium system, Ali VU from Senior Architectural Systems has been specified for a new residential development in Liverpool.

heritage style windows, the Ali VU system offers a range of contemporary features including excellent energy-efficiency, security and durability. Featuring a polyamide thermal break, Senior’s Ali VU aluminium double-glazed windows have been designed to achieve a Window Energy Rating (WER) of A, with the triple glazed option designed to achieve a rating

Designed by John McCall Architects, the five-storey Lister Gardens apartment scheme in Crosby has been inspired by the art deco style of the area’s architecture and in particular, the former Royal British Legion building nearby. The name of the development also pays homage to Lance Bombardier Tom Lister, the first chairman of the armed forces charity organisation.

of A+. Robust, safe and secure, the Ali VU windows also successfully meet the requirements of PAS 24 and Approved Document Q.

Suitable for both residential and commercial schemes, Senior’s Ali VU windows also offer exceptional design flexibility, with a choice of configurations, including standard or ovolo

feature outerframe, flat faced, stepped face or radius vents, and square or chamfered beads. Benefiting from Senior’s established manufacturing expertise, the strong yet slim profile aluminium frame of the new Ali VU window can accept glazing up to 44mm thick and is available in a low-maintenance powder-coated or anodised finish.

To complete the fenestration package, Senior’s thermally-efficient SPW600 aluminium commercial doors have also been fabricated and installed to the development’s main communal entrances by Kingfisher Windows for main contractor M & Y Maintenance and Construction and property developers Redwing. Deborah Beeley, sales and marketing manager for Kingfisher Windows commented: “Kingfisher Windows has been a long-time fabricator of Senior’s products for both our trade and commercial customers. This installation for the Lister Gardens project is the latest example of our successful partnership and it’s an installation that we are extremely proud of.”

The scheme comprises 20 one and twobedroom apartments, all benefitting from the attractive slim sightlines offered by Senior’s Ali VU casement windows. As well as successfully emulating the look of

Visit www.seniorarchitecturalsystems.co.uk or search for Senior Architectural Systems on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

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TRADE NEWS

FREEFOAM SHORTLISTED FOR THREE CONSTRUCTION MARKETING AWARDS Freefoam is a finalist in three of this year’s prestigious Construction Marketing Awards (CMAs) for its successful #HelpingCustomersGrow campaign. The leading independent roofline, rainwater and cladding manufacturer has been shortlisted for Best Use of Content Marketing, Best Mid-Budget Campaign and Strategic Planning and Management.

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

KOZANE® ATTENDED ITS FIRST VIRTUAL TRADE SHOW - THE INNOVATE TEXTILE & APPAREL ORGANISED BY WTIN This October, Kozane® showcased its range of cut, tear, puncture and abrasion resistant fabrics at The Innovate Textile & Apparel Virtual Trade Show. After the cancellation of key industry exhibitions during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, OEMs, suppliers, distributors, fabric and fibre manufacturers and service providers have missed out on the opportunity to showcase their technology and develop new leads and relationships. With travel remaining difficult for many people across the globe, the World Textile Information Network (WTIN) hosted an online event between the 15th and 30th of October where manufacturers were able to exhibit their innovations to an unrestricted global audience. The most popular high-performance fabric at the exhibition was Kozane® Extreme, very popular with the glass and steel manufacturing industries for protective clothing, due to its impressive

cut resistance levels and breathability: EN 388:2016 Level F and ANSI Cut Level A8. The brand also showcased its cut and water-resistant series Kozane® Aqua, and the cut and heat resistant series Kozane® Pyro. This year’s event included 3D rendered booths with interactive hotspots for viewing exhibitor’s rich media and content, live chat with exhibitors, conferences and seminars on topics across the industry, and a daily stream of show and industry news, insight and intelligence. The event aimed to be fun as well as informative, with prizes and ongoing competitions to keep visitors coming back for more. Attendees included trade associations, leading sportswear brands, PPE manufacturers and top retailers from across the world, with content available in many languages including Chinese, English, Japanese, Spanish and Turkish. www.kozaneprotection.com

#HelpingCustomersGrow is a tightly synchronised marketing programme of PR, advertising, social media, video and direct marketing which illustrates the impact of Freefoam’s supply chain working effectively together to grow.

AN INVESTMENT IN QUALITY FOR PROFINE With some of the tools for KÖMMERLING 70 now up and running for profine UK, the company has introduced Neil Stuart as the new quality manager for the business and he brings with him over 25 years industry experience from another UK systems house. Neil’s introduction also coincides with the expansion of the quality control and management function to seven in total, with four quality control shift operatives, a further day-based role and a QC inspector. Robust manufacturing procedures and processes are already in place, as administered by the production department from the profine Group’s Pirmasens site. Yet the new team are expanding this methodology to the newly acquired brands in the form of Evolve, Legend and Warmcore. ‘It’s been a busy start to my career at profine UK’ explains Neil, ‘The first week was about recruiting the right staff and subsequently we’re setting the bar high in terms of quality and in adopting a pro-active culture of quality. This new facility for us is and will remain one that produces the best products, as is the profine and KÖMMERLING way.’

Freefoam’s campaign, working in close partnership with MRA Marketing and Mind Made, has had a massive impact on sales and customer engagement. “We’re over the moon to reach the finals of the CMAs in three categories!”, says Freefoam Commercial Director Colin St John. “Our campaign #HelpingCustomersGrow has captured the market’s attention by giving Freefoam

customers a platform to tell their success stories. It’s great to get recognition for everyone’s hard work and we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for November.” The CMAs showcase marketing excellence, innovation and creativity in the construction sector. These prestigious awards are endorsed by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Construction Interest Group and the 2020 winners will be announced on Thursday 26 November.

Andrew Charlesworth, head of technical for profine UK, added: ‘We’re thrilled with the introduction of Neil and the new team. We’ve already invested in cutting edge measurement systems that’s used by us in Germany and by the likes of Greiner in Austria. With the resources of the group behind us, we’re looking to make this facility one of the most important in the UK and within profine as a group.’ For further information please visit www.profine-uk.com, e-mail enquiries@profine-uk.com or phone 01623 579200. There’s also a dedicated site for KÖMMERLING at www.kommerling.co.uk. You can also follow them on social media platforms including Twitter @profineuk and @kommerling_uk.

Visit www.cmawards.co.uk for more information.

Freefoam is a finalist in three of this year’s prestigious Construction Marketing Awards (CMAs) for its successful #HelpingCustomersGrow campaign

“It’s great to get recognition for everyone’s hard work and we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for November.”

From left to right: Andrew Charlesworth, head of technical, with Neil Stuart, quality manager.

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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TRADE NEWS

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

REDDISH JOINERY CELEBRATES SIX YEARS WITH PURPLEX Reddish Joinery, one of the North West’s most respected home improvement companies, has recently celebrated six years with Purplex Marketing in August. The family-run business has been working with the leading full-service marketing agency since 2014 and in that time has increased sales across its whole portfolio as a result, especially it’s high-end timber products. Beginning with a new website build and branding, Purplex then deployed a continuous online marketing lead generation strategy consisting of Paid Advertising on Google, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Content Marketing and Social Media Management to position the Reddish website as the hub of all marketing activity. Purplex have also supported Reddish Joinery with various creative projects such as company literature and video production.

They are continuously driving high-quality enquiries to the business month-on-month.” This year marks 53 years in business for the Stockport-based company, and Purplex’s MD Andrew Scott said: “Being in business for 53 years really does speak for itself and it’s an achievement that has only been possible through Reddish’s passion for quality craftsmanship and a commitment to always expanding and improving its product range. We’re looking forward to supporting them for many years to come to help them achieve even more success.”

Lee Parrott, Managing Director of Reddish Joinery, said: “Joining with Purplex has been one of the best business decisions we’ve ever made. Nobody really understood our business before but the Purplex team were highly professional from the start and that hasn’t changed since the very beginning.

Purplex Marketing was founded in 2004 by Andrew Scott, one of Britain’s leading marketing experts. Andrew has acquired, built, and sold several successful businesses in the industry, including manufacturers, distributors, and retail businesses. Since its establishment, Purplex has grown by at least 34% every year and now boasts a large clientele of customers located throughout the UK and Europe.

“Purplex understand the value of a strong brand and know how to generate leads around it for the best return on investment.

For more information, visit www.purplexmarketing.com or call 01934 808132.

MRA SHORTLISTED FOR 15 CONSTRUCTION MARKETING AWARDS Full-service agency MRA Marketing has been shortlisted for 15 awards across 10 categories in this year’s prestigious Construction Marketing Awards (CMAs). In spite of tough market conditions, the awards programme proved itself indispensable and attracted a large number of entries from across the construction industry. MRA has been selected as a finalist across a range of categories for its work with six customers, including: Deceuninck,

Garnalex, Freefoam, Lakes, Tommy Trinder, and the Builders Merchant Building Index. A powerful mix of research, strategic marketing, PR, creative advertising and digital work has resulted in some amazing results for MRA’s customers in a most challenging year. Managing Director Lucia Di Stazio says: “In what has been a particularly difficult year for many businesses, this positive news is most welcomed. We’ve been entering the CMAs for over 15 years and we were determined to not miss it despite a global pandemic! “Being shortlisted across 10 categories is fantastic recognition of our work for customers and for our team, who work tirelessly to go the extra mile for them. We’re looking forward to ‘virtually’ celebrating with our colleagues and clients at the ceremony in November and we’ll certainly be opening some ‘real’ bubbly on the night.” Winners will be announced at an online prize giving on 26th November. View the full CMA 2020 Shortlist at http://www. cmawards.co.uk/cma-2020-shortlistannounced/ For more information visit www.mra-marketing.com.

ODL EUROPE EXHIBITING AT FENEX

ODL Europe have signed up to FENEX, the new industry virtual exhibition which kicks off on in November with the Doors, Windows and Hardware mini Expo. Nathan Barr, Managing Director of ODL Europe said: “We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to our virtual stand and showing them what ODL Europe has to offer. We are launching some exciting new products this year, including our new Guardsman FD Fire Door, which has the ability to revolutionise this sector and FENEX visitors can see this for the first time.” The new Doors, Windows and Hardware Expo will run throughout Friday 27th and Saturday 28th November, 2020. Nathan said: “At a time when face-to-face events are simply not an option, virtual exhibitions offer an exciting opportunity to engage with potential new business. "We all have to think differently on how we engage with our audience and FENEX provides an easy to use, highly interactive experience for both exhibitors and visitors”.

As Nathan mentions, the company are launching several new composite doors this year to help add value to their customers’ businesses. The new doors include the new Deco Door which is a cottage-style door offering sophisticated heritage styling. Also

available is the Moderne contemporary door which delivers modern aesthetics and the Guardsman FD Fire Door has what it takes to revolutionise the fire door sector. It’s the result of a six-figure investment in research and development and a vital

collaboration with Winkhaus, which is home to the FireFrame fire door.

Commenting on the new Guardsman FD Fire Door, Nathan said: ”Our ambition was to develop a fire door that didn’t use phenolic foam in its core which we know is an unstable product. Instead, we have used solid core Agrifiber technology, which is stronger and more stable. The doors are currently being tested under the EN1634 European standards for fire resistance and smoke control with some extraordinary results being achieved.” The new doors will be available to see along with ODL Europe’s additional marketleading products including Blink® blinds + glass, glazing cassettes and their new composite door glass. Nathan concludes: “FENEX promises to be a step-change in exhibition platforms and as a forward-thinking business, we are proud to be taking part in the inaugural event. Tel: 0151 933 0299 www.odl.com/europe.htm

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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TRADE NEWS

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

ADVERTO MEDIA LAUNCH NEW ONLINE

APPOINTMENT BOOKING SYSTEM

Introducing the new online booking app from Adverto Media: AdvertoBookings is an exciting new appointment booking package, allowing prospective customers to book home and showroom visits from the comfort of their own home, 24 hours a day. Adverto Media have developed an application that syncs seamlessly with your team’s personal calendars as soon as a booking is booked; it notifies your customer with multiple email and text reminders to ensure your customers never miss an appointment. What’s more, by partnering with Zapier, it allows integrations with over 100 different online apps including HubSpot, Asana and Zoom, thus saving your team priceless time. A simple line of code allows the widget to be added to any website, and it works on both desktop and mobile platforms. The button can be customised to match your own website’s branding and you can position the widget to the exact location that suits you.

Your team can block off their own leave or holiday from their own private account. In addition, they each have their own unique link to allow for self-generated bookings, if required. Nick Caddy from Adverto Media explains, “I think it’s a great addition for any window company: we all live very busy lives and working days pass by in a flash, so why not take the benefit of being able to take bookings whilst your offices are closed, removing the admin jobs from your team at the same time!” Check out the new video and sign up for your 7 day free trial at www.advertobookings.com. Adverto Media is a full-service digital marketing agency, working solely with fabricators and installers from the window and door industry. Owner Nick Caddy has vast experience in the window and door industry, first working for his family business in Bristol as their Sales & Marketing Director. Adverto Media works with installation companies and fabricators across the UK, helping them to build their brand and online presence through use of an extensive range of digital and print media. Nick carries on to say, “Having worked in a successful window installation business

for many years, we prided ourselves on how we stood out amongst our competitors; due to this, we at Adverto Media know exactly what it takes to make an impact in this very competitive industry. As a result, we seek to pass that knowledge and experience onto our customers.” Adverto Media provide an extensive range of digital services, including Web Design, PPC, SEO, Social Media Management as well as content creation and print design. More recently, Adverto Media were lucky enough to partner with industry leading company ‘The Residence Collection’ to provide a 360 degree virtual tour of their showroom. This allows their installation and manufacturing partners, and even consumers, to navigate and explore the product range at any time, making it far more suited to busy lifestyles. Sarah Hitchings, Sales and Marketing Director of The Residence Collection commented, “Working with Nick and the team at Adverto Media was great; they understood exactly what we were trying to achieve and the response to the tour so far has been fantastic!” Adverto Media are also proud to partner with online quoting experts WindowCAD, offering the UK’s best cloud-based quoting package to installers across the country.

Nick explains, “We want to offer our customers something a little more than just lead generation - we want to help them get the lead, quote the lead, manage the lead and sell the job!” He continues, “We are in the process of developing our very own cloud-based CRM system that will also include a project management package to allow the installer to manage every job from start to finish, ensuring it goes smoothly and efficiently.” AdvertoCRM is due for launch in early 2021.

If you are looking to improve your digital presence in 2021, visit www.advertomedia.co.uk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUhNOfISlro

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“We want to offer our customers something a little more than just lead generation.” 26

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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TRADE NEWS

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

65 EVANDER APPRENTICES SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS THANKS TO MRG SERVICES Sixty-five apprentices at Evander, the UK’s leading provider of responsive, preplanned and emergency home services, have just successfully completed their Level 2 and 3 programmes in Fenestration Installation, Glazing, and Fenestration Surveying. The programmes were delivered by industry training experts, MRG. Paul Gray of MRG, said: “We are proud of our long-standing partnership with Evander. Together we’ve ensured that these latest 65 Apprentices have successfully completed their qualifications.” Matt Smith, HR Director at Evander, said: “We would like to congratulate all of the Evander learners that have recently achieved their Apprenticeships. We would also like to thank MRG for all for the hard work and commitment they have shown throughout to get our employees through to completion in these challenging times.” Evander have a long standing relationship with MRG who have the necessary expertise and experience required to take on such large programmes across their UK teams. And learner feedback suggests MRG has delivered at every stage of the training process. One learner, Chris McLoughlin, said: “I am pleased to have completed my Apprenticeship in Fenestration Surveying. I have enjoyed the experience of learning again and I would certainly like to continue

my training and development in the near future with MRG.” Another, Stephen Woodcock, said: “I am proud of what I have achieved, I found the MRG tutor / assessor very supportive, knowledgeable and easy to get on with. I would certainly like to carry on with my learning with MRG as I have enjoyed the experience.” MRG Services UK is a specialist industry training provider working with businesses throughout the UK and Eire, offering a wide range of qualifications. Its management and delivery teams have over 20 years’ experience in training and development in the fenestration industry. Being on the government’s register of apprenticeship training providers (RoATP), the company is able to access at least 95% government funding for most learners. It seems the 15-year partnership between MRG Services and Evander is set to continue, with more Apprenticeship programmes in the pipeline. Paul Gray said: “MRG and Evander are now looking forward to continuing our strong working relationship and are in discussions to deliver a bespoke ILM Management programme to key managers throughout their business. We are very much looking forward to supporting Evander with this in the coming year.” Tel: 0800 085 3598 / 07710 665402 mrgservices.org.uk

FRUSTRATION FOR INSTALLERS IN SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS While supply issues right across the market are obviously having a serious impact on fabricators, lead times and operational efficiencies, in most cases it is installers, operating at the sharp end of the industry, who are actually bearing the brunt. In the commercial market, where there are sometimes penalties for late completion of jobs, the pressure and frustrations have been particularly intense. For The Window Company (Contracts), which works right across the social housing and commercial new build sectors, obtaining stock to maintain its market leading service levels and avoid penalties has been one of the biggest challenges it has faced since factories reopened in April and May. Company Chair David Thornton says that, while he and his team are sympathetic to the problems that fabricators face, installers need open and honest communication from their suppliers if they are to manage their businesses effectively when demand is at the record levels that it is currently. He explains: “We recognise there are shortages on profiles, hardware and glass, but that doesn’t change the fact that we have targets to meet and service levels to maintain.” One supplier that David singles out for praise however is Emplas, which he says was first out of the blocks when it comes to reopening and first to be up front with customers about the ongoing issues they face. Emplas is The Window Company (Contracts)’ chosen supplier on a largescale social housing contract in Essex, where installation was paused during lockdown, but which restarted in June with an immediate demand for several hundred windows per week.

The two learners in the picture are (R) Chris Mcloughlin (L) Stephen Woodcock

David explains the response: “Emplas were clear in their determination to work together with installers like us to find the best possible solution to stock shortages. When we got notification from them that a confirmed delivery was being delayed at short notice, I actually jumped in my car and drove the two hours to Wellingborough for a meeting with Deputy MD Kush Patel so that he could explain the supply chain

issues they were facing in detail and I could see the situation for myself. “Once there, I watched how deliveries into the factory were being monitored on an hour by hour basis, and the genuine effort that was being made to be as fair as possible with the materials available. We talked about the implications for both our business and agreed a plan which worked for both of us. That meant we could keep our client informed and put together a revised installation programme and a new set of KPIs for our team. “Without that level of transparency, the commercial and reputational implications for us could have been much more serious. Kush’s response and the proactive approach taken by everyone at Emplas effectively reinforced to us why they are the right partner on this contract and strengthened rather than weakened our relationship with them. I came away frustrated by Covid, but not Emplas.” He does however add: “I’m still seeing social media posts from installers complaining about lack of supply and poor communication from certain suppliers, but surely that should be a last resort. If we really are still ‘in this together’, I would hope that talking to your suppliers, meeting them, even visiting them as we did at Emplas, would deliver a better result.” Tel: 01245 268120 –www.thewinco.co.uk

“Kush’s response and the proactive approach taken by everyone at Emplas effectively reinforced to us why they are the right partner on this contract and strengthened rather than weakened our relationship with them. I came away frustrated by Covid, but not Emplas.” November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

TRADE NEWS

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

TUFFX’S APEER’S ‘NEW MILLION-METRE GENERATION’ MILESTONE Toughened glass specialist TuffX has recently processed it’s one millionth linear metre of glass, on the Bovone ELB 12 HS straight line edging machine installed at its Merseyside manufacturing plant just 24 months ago. The milestone measurement represents the consistently high customer demand that TuffX has experienced for its processed glass products, even while seven months into a global pandemic. When TuffX purchased the machine – the company’s second – in October 2018, it marked a £200,000 commitment to growth, which has come to fruition despite the industry’s unprecedented challenges this year. The Bovone ELB 12 HS is used to finish edges on popular processed glass products, such as balcony screens and balustrade glass. It processes glass thicknesses of 6-19mm at a speed of four metres per minute, producing greater volumes of glass while retaining the highest possible quality finish. TuffX can also provide all of these glass thicknesses with a range of different tints as per customers’ specifications. “We were so impressed by the first Bovone ELB 12 HS we installed – the speed it operates at and the quality of the polished edge of the finish – that we promptly purchased a second, and dramatically increased our production volumes,” said Graham Price, TuffX’s Managing Director. “Hitting the one-million-metre mark is a testament to the on-going high customer demand for our products and our ability to deliver the goods. Increased interest in our Infinity rooflights range in recent months mean our stateof-the-art machines will be seeing even more action to come, and our recent fleet investments mean TuffX continue to be ready to fulfil this demand throughout the country.” www.tuffxglass.co.uk

MARKETING ELEVATES ENTRANCE DOORS FROM HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Following a total review of the company’s marketing strategy, composite door manufacturer Apeer has offered a taste of what may be expected with the launch of its new website and colour brochure. What is clearly evident from the website and brochure is Apeer’s further development of the ‘lifestyle’ imagery and styling that characterised the company’s promotional videos that were deployed so successfully to homeowners during lockdown earlier this year. The new website and brochure again utilise high quality photography and graphics to portray the ‘perfect lifestyles’ of Apeer homeowners, increasing product imagery, features and benefits as the reader progresses through the website and brochure. Delivered to homeowners through a sophisticated social media campaign, which again proved to be so successful with the company’s videos in the weeks following the official lockdown of the UK and Ireland from March, the website, brochure and other assets will be distributed from early October. Potential buyers will be encouraged to design their own doors using Apeer’s ‘Doorbuilder’ facility, which has also been improved on the new website. Sales leads

MODPLAN LAUNCHES INTERNAL CONTROL HUB TO SUPPORT ITS CUSTOMERS In response to the industry-wide supply chain challenges, leading VEKA trade fabricator Modplan has launched an internal Control Hub to keep its customers one step ahead. Heidi Sachs, Managing Director at Modplan, commented: “Our new Control Hub gives us at-a-glance information on the status of every order in the system across our multiple manufacturing sites. This includes our planning summary, stock availability, production levels and dispatch details. It means we can identify any issues immediately and let our customers know what’s happening so they can plan accordingly.” The Control Hub gives Modplan detailed insight across all its manufacturing sites and the company has set some strong KPIs to ensure maximum efficiency. Heidi said: “The performance is reviewed with the factory managers at regular intervals throughout the day to ensure we are on track to achieve the day’s targets. The Hub is proving invaluable at this time but also in the longer term to help us continue to deliver outstanding customer service and be a proactive partner to our growing customer base.” Supply chain difficulties have been felt throughout the industry as a result of the postlockdown boom. Heidi commented: “After a worrying few months during lockdown for the industry, the upsurge in demand is incredibly good news for everyone. It’s why the delays are so frustrating.”

generated are immediately distributed to local installers in the Apeer Dealer network. The strategy continues the company’s quest to encourage homeowners to consider its entrance doors as home furnishings as much as home improvements, with a new composite door priced similarly to a good three piece suite and other furnishings: “We want to appeal to homeowners to consider choosing a new front door in a similar way to how they would choose furniture, with the process of designing and even installing the door, just as stimulating,” explained Apeer’s

Marketing Manager Linda Tomb. “In taking this approach we hope to move people on from only considering buying an entrance door when they carry out other major home improvements, to something they might do when they simply want do a home makeover, offering a huge range of colours and styling elements on our doors that will complement the rest of their décor scheme.”

She added: “I’d like to reassure our customers we are doing everything we can. As well as launching our Control Hub to keep customers informed, we are also leveraging our status as one of VEKA’s largest fabricators and are working closely with them and all our key suppliers to achieve the best possible service for our customers.” Modplan is renowned as a fabricator that works proactively with its customers to add value in more ways than one. In launching its Control Hub, it’s showing why this reputation is so well deserved. Tel: 01495 246844 – www.modplan.co.uk

Other assets will be added to the new campaign, adding to the series of 7 videos that have been running through channels including Facebook and YouTube, since the spring. www.apeer.co.uk

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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TRADE NEWS

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

CAPITALISE ON SIX MILLION UK HOMES WITH ECOSLIDE SASH WINDOWS Britain’s aging housing stock means many of our homes were built in sash windows’ nineteenthcentury heyday. That means there are huge opportunities for installers who can help homeowners return their properties to their former glory, argues Victorian Sliders Group Managing Director Andy Jones. Did you know that nearly six million UK homes were built before 1919? That was one of the key findings of the latest BRE report – a comprehensive study of the housing stock in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Of the UK’s 27,828,000 dwellings, 5,871,000 date from pre-1919 – that’s 20.6%, or just over a fifth, of the country’s homes. Most of those are unsurprisingly found in England, home to 84% of the total UK population – of 23,272,000 English homes, 4,972,000 were built before 1919. But 19% of Scottish homes, 10.5%

of Northern Irish homes, and 26.2% of Welsh homes fall into the pre1919 bracket too. There are also 4,284,000 UK properties still occupied today that were built between 1919 and 1944.

SASH IS BACK So what’s the significance of all this? It means that over a fifth of Britain’s homes are very likely to have been fitted with sash windows when they were first constructed. They were designed to suit the timeless aesthetics of sash windows – and don’t look quite right when they’re fitted with anything else. Of course, as those of us in fenestration know very well, thousands of original timber sash windows have been ripped out and replaced over the last century – mostly with white PVCu casements that often clash horribly with the surrounding architecture. But it seems that the people that own those nearly six million pre1919 houses are now seeking to restore those original aesthetics. Over the last ten years, interest in modern sash windows – that balance the classic looks with twenty-first-century performance – has soared, and at Victorian Sliders, our business has boomed. With products like our own hugely popular ECOSlide window, installers can easily break into that highly lucrative market -

showing homeowners how modern materials allow them to offer authentic aesthetics, along with easy maintenance and robust security.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN THE SPOTLIGHT However, the BRE’s findings are important for another reason, too. Their report proves that Britain has one of the oldest housing stocks in the world. That’s hugely significant, because the older a building is, the less energy-efficient it is – and given that Britain has committed to reducing its carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, improving the energy efficiency of the country’s oldest properties will be a major priority in the years ahead. Researchers from German technology company tado GmbH studied the thermal efficiency of 80,000 houses across Europe, and found that British ones lose heat up to three times faster than those in other European countries. They measured the drop in temperature in homes from several European nations over five hours, when it was 20°C inside, and 0°C outside. The British homes tested lost an average of 3°C, while German homes lost 1°C, and Norwegian homes lost just 0.9°C.

SPEAK TO THE EXPERTS In the years to come, that means there’s going to be a huge market for products that can do two things – provide a convenient and cost effective way of bringing back classic sash window aesthetics to older homes, and offer exceptional thermal performance. ECOSlide does both. It can be supplied with vintage features like run-through sash horns, and soon, a deep bottom rail – and it comes with A window energy ratings as standard, or A+ rated with Argon gas. In other words, it’s the perfect product to drive growth and sales in your business in the months and years ahead – and if you’d like to learn more, don’t hesitate to call Victorian Sliders on 01269 846200 today. For more information visit www.victoriansliders.co.uk.

THE 7TH SCHÜCO EXCELLENCE AWARDS ARE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER

The seventh annual Schüco Excellence Awards take place on Wednesday 11 November, and for the first time ever the awards event will be online. Starting at 3pm, the awards will be presented in real time, with viewers able to watch the awards being hand delivered to winners on their doorsteps as they discover they’ve won.

With the Awards going virtual, there will also be an all new category – the Viewers’ Choice award. All of this year’s viewers will be able to vote for their own favourite project during the broadcast. The well-established Schüco Excellence Awards for Design and Innovation, run in association with Architecture Today, recognise outstanding projects completed throughout the UK and Ireland. This year’s event is being hosted by architectural designer and television presenter, Charlie Luxton. This year has seen more Award entries than ever before, and the quality of the entrants demonstrates the acknowledgement the awards get in the industry. The ten categories for the 2020 Schüco Excellence Awards are: Commercial building, Cultural building, Education and Health buildings, Refurbishment project, Residential development, Individual house, Individual house improvement, Steel project, Specialist contractor and Overall winner. To register for your free place to view the virtual event, click here: https://excellenceawards.multichanneltv.com/register/

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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NEW ONLINE MARKETPLACE

IS AIMED AT INSTALLERS This month sees the launch of a new, first-of-its kind online service aimed at fenestration industry installers. Recognising that the business support needed by installers and SMEs in the industry is often difficult to reach, 'UBoom' aims to make such support not only affordable but instantly accessible. Incorporating products and services chosen specifically for the sector, UBoom offers installers an invaluable and vast range of toolkits to help their business boom. From business management tools, employment contracts, training schemes, marketing, sales, telephone answering services, photography, social media, website audits, feedback programmes, showroom support and much much more, UBoom pulls together the most appropriate and affordable fenestration industry support and presents it all in one 'at a glance' place. Whether it be creating a virtual showroom or sourcing the right software for selling windows and doors online or getting hold of an easy invoicing system, UBoom has

done all the hard work and identified the ideal solutions for installers from a range of tried and trusted suppliers. UBoom is the latest initiative from Inside the Box Marketing. Commenting on the launch of UBoom, Director Chris Globe says: "Like any other successful enterprise, UBoom is simply solving a problem. Over the years it has become clear when talking to installers and SMEs in the fenestration industry that they have all the same business needs and challenges as largescale companies. However, so many of the business systems and support tools in the market are often too expensive and not necessarily appropriate for them. We believe that solutions that are specifically tailored to the sector, hand-picked, affordable and

all in one place are something that installers and SMEs will truly benefit from”. “Similarly, as Inside The Box Marketing approaches ten years in business we have met so many small suppliers over the years with fantastic products which will really benefit the industry; it felt like the right time to put all the parties in this landscape together and so we have created UBoom”. "I'm also thrilled that we have so much interest expressed by managers of fenestration industry membership groups. They see UBoom as a great way of helping their networks become stronger and more profitable by accessing the toolkits on the platform. For network managers we can create their own UBoom marketplaces tailored to the needs of their own members.

In addition, I can see a time when the systems houses also recognise UBoom as a means of providing extra support to their fabricator/installer customers, particularly with reference to the sales and marketing products it offers”. "At a time when online trading is increasingly becoming the most practical way forward for many businesses, the team at UBoom is confident the industry will welcome the help it provides." Installers and SMEs wishing to find out more, and fenestration industry suppliers interested in featuring their products and services on the UBoom website should head to www.uboom.co.uk or email: sayhello@uboom.co.uk.

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

JUST LAUNCHED

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CONSERVATORY OUTLET BOOSTS MANUFACTURING CAPABILITY WITH £500,000 INVESTMENT The UK’s leading manufacturer of high-quality windows, doors, home extensions and conservatory products has pressed the button on a new £500,000 investment drive to increase output and capacity. Conservatory Outlet, which employs 174 people at its 60,000 sq ft factory in Wakefield, is looking to build on a successful lockdown period that saw it achieve over £4m of sales across its 28-strong retail network of installation companies. The improvements will be completed in four stages and include a number of infrastructure enhancements and the addition of a new ACT Schirmer Cutting and Routing machine that will dramatically improve the precision levels and edge quality of window profiles whilst increasing production efficiency significantly. This state-of-the-art installation will be joined in the new year by the construction of a 10,000 sq ft factory extension. “Manufacturing is at the heart of what we do and it is vital for us to continue to invest in our factory so we can meet growing customer demand across existing and new product ranges,” explained

Michael Giscombe, Managing Director at Conservatory Outlet. “Our network of retailers has achieved amazing success in recent months and this led to us exploring new ways to increase capacity whilst maintaining lead times. The opportunity to purchase the latest technology and make some key changes to our infrastructure will make a huge difference at just the right time,” He continued: “With all of the improvements, plus the factory extension, we believe we can increase capacity by 20% next year and, if the pipeline of sales is anything to go by, we’re going to need that production flexibility.” Conservatory Outlet was purchased in an MBO in 2011 by current owners Greg Kane and Michael Giscombe. The duo has focused heavily on building strong partnerships with the company’s network of retailers, whilst also investing heavily in its R&D team to ensure it is setting consumer trends in windows, doors and conservatory products. This approach has seen the Yorkshire-based firm increase turnover from £8m to £21m in just nine years, with the desire to grow by 50% between now and the end of 2024.

Greg Kane (CEO) and Mick Giscombe (MD)

Greg continued: “Like most businesses we were temporarily hit by Covid-19, but decided to tackle issues created by the pandemic head-on, launching a ‘lockdown sales competition’ that achieved £4m in just seven weeks.

“To support this, we also accelerated the launch of our innovative new design app, which gives customers the freedom to design and price hundreds of styles of windows and doors online via zoom.”

He concluded: “Consumers are also choosing to spend more money on home improvements this year, rather than expensive foreign holidays. This meant it was the perfect time to introduce the Eclipse Collection, our exclusive new range of super-slim aluminium windows and doors that are proving extremely popular.” Conservatory Outlet, which was officially recognised by the London Stock Exchange as one of the Top 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain 2020, has reinforced its commitment to developing the talent of the future by recruiting five new apprentices.

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

COLD CALLING

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

DANNY WILLIAMS

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DECEMBER’S FEATURES! Product Review Spotlight Special Software & IT Energy Efficiency Looking for direct email marketing? Prices start from just £295 + vat Cost effective, real results! Don’t forget! Exclusive Editor Interviews (free to advertisers) Face to Face features (free to advertisers) Women In Industry (free to advertisers) A Day in the Life of (free to advertisers) Please email: christina@glassnews.co.uk or call 01302 278756 www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

‘COLD CALLING’ Each month our special correspondent Danny Williams* replies to a reader’s letter... “We are retail installers located in now locked-down Nottinghamshire. We have enjoyed a huge boom in sales but with the sting in the tail that component and materials shortages are really taking the edge of it. Am I being stitched up with product going to bigger installers?” KB Notts In a nutshell, yes there are component and materials shortages that are affecting every part of our industry and no, KB, you are not being stitched up by your suppliers, at least not for that reason. When we emerged from the first, full national lockdown (as I tap away the second lockdown has just been announced), nobody could have predicted that sales would return to pre-Covid levels, let alone boom in the way that they have. At the time I blamed shortages on what was pretty clear evidence that many suppliers had simply left their staff on furlough for too long, taking the government’s coin well after it became clear that sales were going through the roof and people should have been back at work to deal with it. Clearly that is well behind us now and component shortages continue to prevail and, are becoming worse, fears now compounded by growing tales of a resin crisis. There is little if anything appearing in our industry press about this of course, simply as the PR departments of the various PVC-U systems houses seem unable to issue anything that isn’t dotted with overhyped superlatives: sometimes, good old fashioned factual information and – here’s a thing – honesty, would not go amiss. Telling the truth, openly, should not be seen as a negative. Yes, companies do have the opportunity to communicate directly with their customers but, as my own experience

confirms, emails are often ignored and every channel should be used to ensure that messages get through. And thereby hangs a tale, KB. Because the one serious component that has been in extremely short supply throughout the coronavirus crisis is: words. Yes, words KB. As you seem to have enough time on your hands to seek out my scribblings on a regular basis you may recall me lambasting suppliers that shut their gates too enthusiastically at the first hint of lockdown and without any sort of warning that they were doing so. They left me and some of my customers and clients with jobs that could have been completed and others that could have continued – we are approved NHS supply and fit contractors. Expected deliveries failed to arrive – with no words of explanation until chased. When the formal return to work was hinted at by the government, many window and door supply-side businesses opened in anticipation of installers once again being allowed into homes, but many were barely able to function, with most of their staff furloughed. Product shortages, especially hardware, quickly became apparent – but no words from so many suppliers on what stuff would be missing and when we might expect it. And more recently we were advised through emails, that one of our system suppliers had been advised of a force majeure incident at their principle resin provider, that meant quite literally, they would not receive any PVC-U compound for some time to come. And nor would we, therefore. That is a horror story for any supplier and my sympathies go out to them: but what

I found frustrating is their initial refusal to supply me with a few profiles and components that I needed to complete work in progress. Profiles and components that they had in stock. With repeated telephone calls to the boss initially going unanswered the only communications I received were dismissive emails from a jobsworth. Following a most welcome telephone call with the guv’nor, all has been resolved….but those initial frustrations could have been avoided early on through the exchange of a few civilised words. Communication is everything! Despite assertions by the missus, I am a grown up and can rationalise when there is a genuine problem. Talk to me, tell me what is happening, keep me and my team up to speed with late deliveries, shortages, what have you, so I can then tell my customers and they can tell theirs. Such is the demand for our industry’s life enhancing, fabulous replacement windows and doors and conservatories and rooflights that homeowners, once they have set their hearts on them, will not cancel when it is explained to them about industrywide product supply issues, that any firm claiming to be unaffected will be lying through their teeth. And actually, when the realities are carefully communicated, they will accept that they will have to wait a bit longer than they hoped. Most will be quite happy to not lose their place in an everlengthening queue. Ironic that words, a crucial and often all-too-rare component in this thoroughly messed up world, are also free.

* Danny Williams is managing director of Chelmsford based Pioneer Trading and has been involved with all aspects of the windows and doors industry for 35 years. His activities include manufacturing a full range of windows and doors in PVC-U and aluminium, an IGU facility, retailing and commercial contracting.

WIINDOWS

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EYG COMMERCIAL TRANSFORMS SCHOOL WITH SPECTUS ELITE 70 WINDOWS Yorkshire commercial fabricator EYG Commercial has recently transformed Driffield School and Sixth Form with 180 Spectus Elite 70 windows in a £250,000 project. Business Development Manager at EYG Commercial, Mike Hastie, said: “This project is very good example of how new windows can transform the look, and performance of an older building.” EYG Commercial was awarded the contract by main contractor Hobson & Porter. The work involved replacing dated steelframed windows with modern PVC-U versions. The specification was exacting. Thermal efficiency was a critical factor, as was the overall energy efficiency of the building,

with solar glass specified. The windows needed to meet Secured by Design standards and aesthetically, Anthracite Grey was required to replicate the appearance of the original steel windows. EYG Commercial tendered and secured the contract with Spectus Elite 70 windows. As a longstanding Spectus fabricator, EYG Commercial knew the system would deliver on the demanding requirements of the project. Mike commented: “These are Secured by Designapproved windows that have been proven time and again at every level. They also fit with most architectural themes, making them ideal for educational developments and replacement and refit projects.”

The project took 18 weeks in total and the EYG Commercial team is delighted with the results. Mike said: “The building has been transformed not only in its appearance, but also in its energy performance. It is a simple but stunning transformation.” EYG Commercial was founded in 1971 and designs and engineers building systems suitable for commercial and residential projects. Founded on the traditional values of reliability and trust, the company has an exceptional track record of working on high-value contracts and forming longstanding partnerships with architects and contractors throughout the UK. Spectus Elite 70 is one of the most considered commercial window and door systems in the market. Through its expert in-house support and network of contractors such as EYG Commercial, it works with contractors, housebuilders, housing providers, education authorities, housing associations and healthcare trusts to provide exceptional commercial solutions. Tel: 0808 101 4143 www.spectus.co.uk

ALUK’S C70S 70MM WINDOW SYSTEM HAS ARRIVED October 2020 sees the official launch of AluK’s brand new, beautifully engineered C70S 70mm window - the big brother to its iconic 58BW window system. The C70S has all the clean lines, slim sightlines and advanced functionality which customers love about the 58BW, but with increased weather performance and new design features for even faster fabrication and installation. This new window will help them increase margins and improve competitiveness. Assembly is quicker, thanks to clip-together detailing on the sub cill, frame extenders, and Z adapter, and a universal EPDM carrier groove means that the EPDM strip can be fitted reliably and easily every time using a simple, AluK-supplied ‘snap-in’ PVC profile. Fabricators also have the option to use crimped or mechanical corner cleats ensuring that the C70S can be integrated into any fabrication set up. For installers, the system allows for reversed glazing without the need for a frame reverser, making it ideal for glazing at height, and it is available in a wide choice of configurations including side and top hung casements and TBT windows to suit almost any application. The C70S meets and exceeds all the key thermal, acoustic and performance criteria laid down by commercial specifiers, and opens up exciting new opportunities for customers targeting both residential and commercial projects. For instance, the C70S can achieve impressive U-Values of between 1.1W/m2K with triple glazing and 1.3W/m2K with double glazing. However, it also comes with lots of options in terms of glazing and clever foam insulation strips which give fabricators

the flexibility they need to be able to design U-Values either up or down to suit the specification of each project. It also boasts class-leading wind (600Pa) and water tightness (1500Pa) performance, even with large span window openings, and has the option of 50mm acoustic glazing, which means it can be used everywhere from exposed coastal settings to noisy city centre locations. Both inward and opening windows have been successfully tested to PAS24 and accredited to SBD, ensuring that the C70S is suitable for all projects requiring Approved Document Q. Marketing Director Sioned Roberts says that the C70S will be the platform on which AluK builds an entire new range of 70mm products, giving customers the same benefits of system integration which they already enjoy with the 58BW. She points out, of course, that one of the big advantages of the C70S is that it shares the sightlines and many of the parts and tooling required to manufacture the 58BW: “This means customers can add the new system to their range without a significant increase in their stockholding and give themselves flexibility on project specifications.” The C70S is available on five-day lead times from stock in white, grey, black and dualcolour white/grey and white/black options. Other colours and finishes are available to order. More details are at: www.aluk.co.uk.

RUISLIP TAKES THE TOP SPOT IN VICTORIAN SLIDERS’ INSTALLATION OF THE MONTH Victorian Sliders, Europe’s largest specialist manufacturers of PVC-u vertical sliding sash windows, has announced their latest Installation of the Month winner – Ruislip Windows and Doors. Every month, ECOSlide installers are invited to send their best installation images to Victorian Sliders, who will then choose the best one and reward them with a £25 Amazon gift card. Ruislip Windows and Doors is a respected installer based in North West London who specialises in replacement windows, doors and conservatories in both PVC-u and aluminium. Their winning installation was in Roehampton, South London, and involved approximately 10 sash windows, all to

match the original sashes with full grid surface-mounted Georgian bars. Ruislip Windows and Doors have been installing ECOSlide sash windows for around 15 years, and are delighted with the service they’ve received. “Victorian Sliders provide an ideal solution for our customers who want to maintain

their property’s features at an affordable price point, whilst also benefiting from the character and charm of a traditional sash window with the long term performance and thermal capabilities of a modern window,” says Michelle Miller.

have a reputation for being difficult to install, but we want to prove that this isn’t the case at all. Ruislip Windows and Doors is just one example of a customer who has demonstrated that, when it comes to period properties, sash windows are the way to go.

“Previously, it was almost “on-trend” to rip out old impaired sash windows and replace them with casements that were so out of character with the property, simply to have a more workable and user-friendly option.

“We loved that their submission showed how closely ECOSlide resembles timber. It’s been a pleasure serving them for the past 15 years, and they are very deserving of the prize.”

“But thankfully, the industry – including most of Ruislip’s customers – have woken up to this adversity, and there is a definite move to conserve period features within properties wherever possible.

Based in South Wales, Victorian Sliders started up in 2005 and is now Europe’s largest specialist manufacturer of PVC-u vertical sliding sash windows.

Victorian Sliders Group Managing Director Andy Jones comments; “Sash windows

For more information visit www.victoriansliders.co.uk or call 01269 846200.

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

TRADE NEWS

The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

Sustainability At REHAU we are conscious of the impact our actions have on people and the environment. The use of recycled materials is one of our strategic objectives, our TOTAL70C system is available with a co-extruded profile made up of 75% post-consumer waste. Windows. Reinvented for modern life. www.rehau.uk/windows

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

WINDOWS

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

POST-LOCKDOWN PROVES TO BE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY Leading sash window manufacturer Roseview Windows has gone from strength to strength since reopening after lockdown. The return to work in May saw sales rising rapidly, with an exceptional level of window orders. Current forecasts predict that the number of windows Roseview manufactures this year will at least equal the total for 2019, despite having missed almost two months due to industry lockdown. The challenges of well-documented supply chain issues currently affecting the whole industry mean that many companies are feeling the pressure as lead times are extended. Roseview has responded by sourcing alternative suppliers and overstocking on components wherever possible. The company has also invested heavily and increased recruitment to help reduce the impact on their customers.

The window industry has been one of the unexpected success stories of this extraordinary year. The national lockdown forced people to spend more time in their home, which sparked heavy investment in home improvement. Money normally spent on luxuries like holidays has instead been invested in homes, in preparation for the winter months. Roseview is continuing its expansion plan by recently acquiring a fifth factory to cope with increased demand and growth. There has also been significant investment in plant and machinery including a completely new machining centre, with more planned for the future. The company have not stopped at expanding its premises; they have also expanded their workforce. Since the demand for windows has increased significantly since the return to work, the

company has employed 20 new fabricators across their sites with further appointments throughout the business. Discussing Roseview’s growth managing director Richard Burrells said: “Under very challenging circumstances Roseview has enjoyed great success since returning from lockdown. , The current home improvement boom has led to unexpected levels of window orders, meaning demand has been strong for our Rose Collection sash windows, especially Ultimate Rose. “I would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding during these unpredictable times. We felt it was important to be open and transparent with our customers about extended lead times and supply chain issues, so we’ve been communicating regularly. I would

also like to thank our incredible team here at Roseview who have gone above and beyond to help meet our customers’ needs and continue to do what we do best - manufacturing exceptional sash windows. Moving forward we have further exciting expansion plans and the launch of our latest version of our Ultimate Rose sash window.” For more information visit ww.roseview.co.uk or call 01234 712657.

THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION

– HOW CAN VICTORIAN SLIDERS OFFER AN AWARD WINNING, HIGH-QUALITY SASH WINDOW FOR JUST £199*? Andy Jones, Group Managing Director of sash window specialists Victorian Sliders, outlines the extensive investments that have allowed it to make one of Europe’s most respected and affordablypriced sash windows. In my experience, everyone who’s heard of Victorian Sliders will know at least three things about us. We’re based in Wales. We make PVCu sash windows – and trade customers can buy a vertical sliding window from us for just £199. In particular, that £199 figure has been an object of discussion for some in our industry over the years, especially since that figure has remained unchanged since 2012. There’s been a lot of speculation about how we’re able to offer ECOSlide at such competitive prices. Are we cutting corners at every opportunity? Are we making next to no margin? I’ve heard both suggested more than once, and both are completely false. So if it’s not that, how can we manage it? In truth, there’s no big secret – we’re able to do

it because we’ve invested a huge amount of time, energy and resources into being able to offer a fully certified window at the very best price.

Over the last 15 years, that’s seen us take control of our own extrusion – designing our own exclusive profile system, made inhouse using seven extrusion lines.

In recent years, we’ve invested over £12,000,000 into every aspect of the business including product development, machinery, expanding the factory, IT, a UK-wide transport infrastructure and much more – making our operation one of the most advanced and efficient in UK glass and glazing.

We manufacture our own glass units, spray and foil all our own profiles, bend our own arches and produce our own hardware too – we own the hardware company that exclusively makes window furniture for Victorian Sliders. We even have our own vacuum forming department which allows us to foil all our own ancillary parts.

SELF-SUFFICIENT SASH SPECIALISTS One of Victorian Sliders’ greatest strengths is the simple fact we’re specialists – we just do sash windows. Freed from the challenges of having to juggle hundreds of different products that hold back many fabricators, we can focus all our efforts on making ECOSlide as efficiently as possible. We’re also Europe’s biggest sash window manufacturer, and with that comes certain economies of scale – when you’re making upwards of 2,000 frames a week, you’re able to produce each one far more affordably than if you just make a few hundred. Then there’s our long-standing commitment to doing as much of the work that goes into manufacturing a window ourselves.

In fact, I’d go as far as saying Victorian Sliders is probably the most vertically integrated, self-sufficient, independentlyowned window manufacturer in the UK.

MAKING SASH WINDOWS ACCESSIBLE What does all that mean? Fundamentally, it means we’re able to control virtually every aspect of our manufacturing operation from cradle to grave, maximising quality and productivity whilst minimising costs. Today, ECOSlide is one of the leading sash windows on the market – offering convincing traditional aesthetics, robust security, and a wide range of extras including astragal bars, run-through horns, and, soon, a deep bottom rail.

All that, combined with the £199 price tag, has meant we’ve been able to help thousands of UK installers break into the extremely lucrative sash window market over the last 15 years. Despite the very challenging circumstances we’ve all faced over the past few months, the demand for quality sash window products hasn’t slowed – if anything, it’s increased. So if you’d like to learn more about how Victorian Sliders can help you win profitable new business and why our customers voted Victorian Sliders the UK’s number one supplier of vertical sliding windows, don’t hesitate to get in touch. *£199 excludes: curved, foiled or sprayed colours and Georgian bars/Astragal bars. £199 maximum size 1300mm x 2400mm (windows over this size are available at extra cost).

For more information visit www.victoriansliders.co.uk or call 01269 846200.

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

WINDOWS

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

A STELLAR JOB FOR ABBEY WINDOWS 44 Stellar aluminium Flush Casement Windows and a Stellar French Door in anthracite grey have been fitted in a substantial residential property in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The job was carried out by local Leeds installer Abbey Windows who has been fitting Stellar products for a few months and is delighted with the products’ aesthetics and ease of fitting. Darren Capitano, owner of Abbey Windows, explains: “Stellar is a superior aluminium window and door system and the slimline, flush aesthetics make it an attractive product to sell to our customers. The low-level gaskets mean the frames look even slimmer, which taps into the trend for big expanses of glass which are so popular at the moment and the flush aesthetics present a straightforward sell. It is a stand-out aluminium product.”

simple, streamline flush design and offers installers a clear point of differentiation when selling into the consumer. Similarly, the ease of fitting has proven popular with installers too. Darren said:” I love fitting Stellar – it’s a pre-gasketed system that uses knock-in beads, so it’s really quick and easy to fit. I have been fitting aluminium windows for many years and there’s nothing else like it on the market.”

Abbey Windows is a longstanding customer of leading Profile 22 fabricator Kingfisher Windows who began fabricating Stellar in June this year. Since adopting Stellar, Kingfisher Windows has witnessed a phenomenal uptake for the double award-winning aluminium system across all market sectors. Deborah Beeley, Sales and Marketing Manager at Kingfisher Windows said: “The positive comments from

The Stellar flush casement windows offer the ultimate in

Abbey Windows is typical of the feedback we have been receiving for Stellar across our trade, retail and commercial customers. It’s an intelligentlydesigned system that offers clear benefits for our customers across all market sectors. It’s clear that Stellar is delivering what the market needs.” Abbey Windows is a familyrun installation business who offer a range of PVC-U and aluminium windows, doors and conservatories to consumers throughout Yorkshire. They have built their business and reputation on providing quality products with a reliable and friendly service. Darren concludes: “We pride ourselves on offering our customers the best in window design. Stellar is a far superior and betterlooking window than anything we have fitted before and it will be our aluminium window of choice from now on.” Tel: 0845 300 9356 www.stellaraluminium.co.uk

SASH WINDOW SEARCHES ARE SOARING – AND WITH ECOSLIDE, YOU CAN BENEFIT Europe’s biggest sash window manufacturer Victorian Sliders looks at the latest Google Trends data, and what it tells us about the state of the market. 2020 has been the strangest and most challenging year many of us will have experienced in our lifetimes – but despite it all, demand for glazing products remains extremely strong.

GOOGLE TRENDS Google gives specific search terms scores between 0 and 100 based on how many people are searching for them at any given time. Between July 26th and August 1st, searches for ‘sash windows’ in England reached 100. If you look at searches for the same term over the last five years, you’ll find that they’re currently at the highest level they’ve been since 2017. You can also see that searches for the term went into sharp decline in March 2020, when lockdown came into effect, but that by May they’d largely

Back in April, when the pandemic was at its height, even the most optimistic among us wouldn’t have predicted that sales would be soaring come July and August. But remarkably, that’s exactly what happened. Partly, we know this simply from first-hand experience – at Victorian Sliders, we’ve been inundated with sales and enquiries, and enjoyed several of the most successful weeks in our history. However, we also know it from looking at Google’s search data, too.

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

recovered, and continued to climb from there. Widen the area to the UK as a whole, and the general trend is the same – strong in January and February, a dramatic fall in March, a steady recovery throughout April and May, leading to the huge demand we’ve all experienced in June, July and August. Related terms like ‘uPVC sash window’ have also done extremely well, and are currently receiving the highest number of searches in years.

ECOSLIDE: STYLISH, VERSATILE AND COMPETITIVELYPRICED What does all that mean for installers? Now’s the time to start offering quality PVCu sash windows. Lockdown saw home improvement move up the priority list for tens of millions of people confined indoors – and thousands are now on the lookout for stylish, eco-friendly and cost-effective products that can improve their property’s aesthetic appeal.

ECOSlide, Victorian Sliders’ enormously successful PVCu sash window, ticks all of those boxes. It comes with ‘A’ Window Energy Ratings as standard (A+ ratings with an Argon-filled unit) and is extremely secure – unlike many competitor products, it uses top and bottom toughened glass as standard, and features an antijemmy bar. It’s also extremely versatile – available in a vast array of foils and any RAL colour, as well as offering plant-on sash horns as standard, the option for runthrough sash horns, and, soon, a deep bottom rail.

DON’T MISS

But best of all, it’s available with a 10-year guarantee, and in any size up to 1300mm by 2400mm, for just £199.

Women In Industry (free to advertisers)

Don’t miss out on booming interest in sash windows – contact Victorian Sliders today, and find out why we’re trusted by more than 3,000 installers countrywide.

A Day in the Life of (free to advertisers)

For more information visit www.victoriansliders.co.uk or call 01269 846200.

Please email: christina@glassnews.co.uk or call 01302 278756 41

WIINDOWS

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

WINDOWS AND THE SMART HOME With recent events further highlighting our dependency on the connected world, it’s no surprise the smart home market is set to grow more so than previously expected. With a number of new products on the horizon, Russell Hand, Head of Product Management and Technical at REHAU Windows discusses smart home opportunities for the fenestration industry and how windows are set to play a key role. Once worth $55billion in 2016, the smart home device market is set to grow to $174 billion by 2025, according to Market Watch. Previously associated with personal tech, the word ‘smart’ is now an all-encompassing term used to optimise daily life. Smart homes essentially make the places we live more comfortable, economical, entertaining and safe. These are all attributes that sit at the heart of REHAU design. As some may know, REHAU also operates a building solutions division where the smart home is becoming ever more prominent in the way of connected HVAC solutions. But why should it end there? We believe windows have a key role to play in the smart home, which is why we’re investing in new technologies that will aid with modern life.

WHAT SMART WINDOW INNOVATIONS ARE ON THE HORIZON? Let’s take a look at some of the drivers behind these changes enabling installers and fabricators to get ahead of the curve:

PRIVACY Interestingly, we now live in a world where there are two types of privacy – digital and physical. The modern world is now jeopardising both through the advancement of social media, as well as urbanisation. It is certainly becoming somewhat of a concern to consumers, and our small island nation continues to develop and expand, our buildings need to adapt accordingly. According to the National Office of Statistics, England’s population is projected to grow more quickly than the other UK nations. It is expected that the UK’s population will increase by 3 million (4.5%)

in the first 10 years of projections from an estimated 66.4million in mid-2018, to 69.4 million in mid-2028. More people will inevitably need more homes and our cities will continue to get denser. But how much privacy can city-dwellers expect? Last year The Guardian published an article about the homeowners neighbouring London’s Tate Modern, who were concerned their privacy was being invaded by gallery visitors who could see into their homes. While this example related to that of an affluent central London location, this type of problem will only continue to grow as we continue to build upwards in urban locations. We believe Smart Privacy will be the future solution for many of these challenges. Essentially, it will allow individual sections or the complete window to switch to nontransparent by the touch of a button or via an app. While there are existing solutions out there, many are susceptible to wind and storms, or are saddled with old-fashioned designs. Also, permanent milky adhesive

films can actually block views, making rooms appear smaller. REHAU is currently developing a more modern and higher quality solution.

UV PROTECTION According to a report from the World Meteorological Organization in 2014 ‘Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion’, climate change may have indirectly influenced the levels of UV radiation in the past by altering the amounts of ozone, UV-absorbing tropospheric gases, aerosols, and clouds in the atmosphere. Furthermore, an earlier report from NASA in 2010 found that 305 nanometer UV levels had gone up by 6% on average since 1979. From this, you don’t have to be a scientist to work out that despite our best efforts to reduce the rate of climate change, these influences will likely continue into the future. Smart Shading is a new innovation that seamlessly dims the sunlight to provide protection but also reduces the transfer of heat, improving homeowner comfort. As with any REHAU innovation, the fabrication and installation of this industryfirst will be equally simple.

SAFETY While many regions have reported a reduction in burglary statistics during the UK lockdown, criminals continue to employ new tactics to identify when a home is most vulnerable, such as drone deployment. Though window materials and locking

mechanisms are clearly fundamental to improving home safety, we expect sensor technology to become more commonplace to monitor both occupied and unoccupied homes, alerting homeowners to any potential risks. Again, REHAU has plans to unveil a modular concept ‘Smart Guard’, that will be compatible with every system and window opening type.

AIR QUALITY In contrast to outdoor air pollution, which has been grabbing headlines thanks to the government’s Clean Air Strategy, the importance of indoor air quality is only just starting to gather momentum as an issue. As homes become more energy efficient through the advent of the Green Homes Grant, ventilation needs to remain a core focus. With awareness growing around this issue, it is only inevitable that homeowners will be looking for new ways to make their homes healthier while balancing energy efficiency requirements. Because of this, REHAU is working on the development of a smart ventilation system that automatically self-regulates to balance CO2 and humidity as well. Many new technologies are often slow to take off, but I believe 2020 has accelerated the evolution of smart solutions in UK homes. It is crucial that installers and fabricators are kept abreast of upcoming window innovations as there are some exciting launches afoot in 2021 and the market needs to be ready to deliver them. Watch this space.

For more information on what’s ahead, visit: www.rehau.com/uk-en/smart-products-for-windows November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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WIINDOWS

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

SPECTUS WINDOWS DELIVER FOR NEW WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT IN EDINBURGH Approved Spectus fabricator Sidey has recently manufactured and installed over 200 flush tilt and turn windows for a low-rise, contemporary new apartment block in Edinburgh. The block forms part of Places for People’s Waterfront 3 development which embraces the best in modern architecture. Designed by Reiach and Hall Architects, the contemporary project provided 34 homes for affordable rent built using a mix of traditional and timber-framed modular construction. Waterfront 3 is the third phase of a high-density

development and the wider development provides a total of 89 mixed-tenure homes across a 0.9-hectare site. Mike Rutland business development manager at ModularWise said: “This was a fairly unusual development in that it mixed traditional build with modular. The ground floor of the scheme was built using traditional construction methods and consists of seven apartments, while the upper three floors consist of 27 modular apartments.” The windows selected for the project were Spectus flush tilt and turn windows. Mike said: “The Spectus flush tilt and turn windows

were chosen for the project because they combine contemporary looks and large aperture with high performance, including low U-values of 1.4 W/m²K. We also took full advantage of the Spectus design service, which includes wind and barrier loading, ventilation and acoustic requirements.” Spectus Window System’s SER certification provides evidence that the glazing meets the relevant structural integrity codes of practice, which was needed for the warrant stage. The windows were manufactured and installed by Spectus fabricator Sidey, one of the UK’s largest and most experienced fenestration specialists. Sidey has been a market leader in the manufacture, supply and installation of high-quality products for 87 years. Mike said: “The Sidey team was very flexible and were happy to install the windows of the traditionally built ground floor on site, and the rest to the modules in our factory in Wales.” He continued: “Once the traditionally constructed ground floor was completed, the modules were transported to site by lorry and delivered a floor at a time. The landing sequence was completed over a four-week period – a significant time saving versus traditional construction.” The impressive project ran smoothly throughout. Mike concluded: “Spectus Window Systems is a pleasure to work with and we look forward to working with them on future developments. Our client, Places for People, is extremely pleased with the project which will provide much needed quality affordable housing for the people of Edinburgh.” Tel: 0808 101 4143 www.spectus.co.uk

FORCE 8 ARE FEELING FLUSH Flush windows have become an extremely popular product in the home improvement market, particularly with homeowners looking for a more traditional look and feel. There are many fabricators now producing these flush products, but there are gaps in the flush range, particularly when it comes to doors. Force 8 is recognised for innovating, and have a long history of unique products. During the lockdown period earlier this year, they were using the time to develop a truly unique product for the flush frame market, a set of arched French doors, which to their knowledge, no other manufacture can produce. The arched flush French doors are currently only available from Force 8, as one of the main components is a unique single length profile bend, which makes the system possible. As Force 8 are the only company within the UK using this bending method, no other company will be able to produce these doors commercially. The reason is that the curve on the arch of the frame and the door has to match perfectly, so these section lengths are curved together to create a perfect match with a consistent clearance between the outer door sash frames. Other profile bending companies bend the arch section and then weld the tails on, trying to produce these doors with this method

would be a nightmare. There are many issues, but the main point of failure would be where the arch finishes and the tail begins, just a millimeter out would cause an unequal clearance on the curved sections, ruining the look and the aesthetics of the doors. “Over the years we have continuously improved our one length profile bending process, and educated the market about its strength and aesthetics, but in this instance, there is no other option available”, comments Dennis Sumner, managing director of Force 8. “The problem is where the curve of the arch flows into the straight. With our process it’s absolutely seamless, making it easy to match the frame and door together and create a consistent clearance around the whole door. We are not saying that another company could not attempt this with their bending method, but the amount of failures to success would make it financially unviable, with a flush system such as this, it has to be perfect, there is no way to hide any imperfections”. For security and strength the doors are reinforce at the corners and the locking system was originally developed for bifolding doors and is inlayed into the frame, which not only includes hooks, but shoot bolts at the top and bottom of each door. With this system there are no obtrusive mullions, giving the doors a lighter and more delicate feel. Dennis continues, “if you are marketing and installing flush windows as part of your portfolio, please contact Force 8 about our flush door range, and let us help you increase your sales opportunities and profits”. For more details please visit https://force8. uk/arched-flush-doors/

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

LETTERS

YOUR LETTERS

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

Dear Editor, I wrote last month criticising the fact that far too many fabricators were using the Covid-19 crisis and ongoing supply chain issues as excuses for inherent inefficiencies within their businesses. The response from certain sectors of the market seems to have been that, while the market is over capacity as it is right now and there are ongoing shortages on profile, hardware and glass, longer lead times should just be seen as an inevitable consequence. I have lots of sympathy with that argument and totally accept that even the most efficient fabricator can’t make a window without all the components being in stock. However, what I don’t accept is that installers should bear the brunt of that moving forward. New customers who have been calling me since the end of lockdown are telling me that they are still being let down by their existing suppliers even when they have accepted longer lead times and that it is costing them money. Orders that are late, incomplete or incorrect have a direct impact on an installer’s bottom line and fabricators who are letting their service levels slide should be more

cognisant of that fact. Even if lead times are two or even three weeks on products where there are stock issues, installers are perfectly capable of scheduling their workloads accordingly. However, what they can’t and shouldn’t be expected to do is schedule and reschedule and cope with rejects or remedials because there are items missing, faulty or delayed even when that order is eventually received. As I see it, it’s up to manufacturers to make investments or reorganise their operations, as Euroglaze is doing, so that they can increase their capacity and reduce their back-orders. That’s not just about employing more fabricators or investing in better machinery, although that does help, it’s also about prioritising efficiency rather than just volume. It’s also of course up to installers themselves to choose a supplier who will save them money by providing an on time in full service every time, rather than one who, while the upfront price may be cheaper, will end up costing them money through poor service. Martin Nettleton Managing Director, Euroglaze

WILL SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION SEE A DRIVE TOWARDS SELF-SUFFICIENCY POST-COVID? Dear Editor, As fenestration continues to boom in the aftermath of the summer lockdown, supply chain issues are starting to bite. What impact will they have, and how will the industry react? Andy Jones, Group Managing Director of Victorian Sliders, gives his view. The economic impact of coronavirus has been huge – but while some sectors have been devastated, glass and glazing is thriving.

Many fabricators and manufacturers have also begun to outsource a lot of the processes that go into making modern window and door products.

Businesses across fenestration are reporting record weeks and months, with many struggling to keep up – at Victorian Sliders, we’ve spoken to some installers who are booked up until January 2021.

I don’t expect either to disappear – in fact, I think they’ll continue to play a major role as long as there’s a window industry.

That’s obviously fantastic news for our industry – but it’s also starting to create its own problems. Three months of almost total shutdown for manufacturers around the world, immediately followed by rocketing demand, has inevitably taken its toll on the supply chain. In the UK, we’re now starting to see shortages of core glazing components. Glass, profile and hardware have all become increasingly difficult to come by – and given the events of the last six months, that’s not exactly surprising. International upheaval Coronavirus was bound to have an impact on the supply chain sooner or later. Some of UK construction’s biggest and most important suppliers have been in places especially badly hit by coronavirus – China, for example, provides the sector with 16% of its components, or £2.8bn in goods every year.

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION? Feel free to get in touch with your views on the industry, legislation, government, or even the newspaper. Contact Chris: chris@glassnews.co.uk

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

Andy Jones, Group Managing Director of Victorian Sliders

Spain and Italy are British construction’s next biggest importers, and have been some of the worst affected countries in Europe. Put together, that’s made a certain amount of upheaval unavoidable. A shift towards self-sufficiency? It raises the question of whether the sector will muddle through the current spate of shortages, and return to business as usual as soon as the pandemic allows – or whether 2020/2021 will see a more comprehensive change in approach. For decades, complex global supply chains have seemed like a win-win – allowing companies to cut costs by sourcing components all over the world.

But I’m beginning to wonder if, in the years ahead, we’ll start to see a shift away from that – and whether businesses will now start sourcing components more locally, and bringing more processes in-house, so they’re more self-sufficient if something similar happens in future. Challenges and successes At Victorian Sliders, we’ve not been immune to the ongoing supply chain disruption – but I think we’ve been less affected than most. That’s because of the company’s long-term commitment to being an independent manufacturer. No business is entirely self-sufficient – but by keeping as many processes as possible in-house, we’ve been able to weather the storm much more effectively than companies that outsource. We extrude our own profile, make our own IGUs, and we own the company that manufactures hardware exclusively for ECOSlide, for example. That’s meant that while some disruption has been inevitable, we’ve been able to continue offering a high standard of service throughout this extremely challenging time. Many businesses are still struggling to meet demand, but we’re able to supply our customers in full. Installers are experiencing growing demand for stylish, authentic, easy-maintenance sash windows like ECOSlide – and we’ve even seen interest from some fabricators, who are considering buying in products they previously made themselves. We’re confident that, despite the challenges, we won’t look back on 2020 as being entirely negative, for us, or for the industry as a whole. http://www.victoriansliders.co.uk/

HARDWARE & SECURITY

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

A SWEET AND SMART HARDWARE OFFERING FROM APEER Apeer has further enhanced its market leading composite door offering with the addition of the stylish Sweet hardware range from Brisant Secure. The Ballymena based manufacturer, which has recently rolled out an impressive consumer video marketing campaign, has also added Brisant Secure’s high tech Ultion Smart lock to its options list, responding to a marked increase in demand for smart enabled products for the home. The Sweet hardware range, which has wowed the industry with a unique combination of aesthetic appeal and hard-wearing quality – it has been tested to withstand over 30 times the limit required for the official EN 1906:2012 corrosion standard – will be ideally suited to Apeer’s portfolio of composite doors. This includes the Traditional, Contemporary and Modo range, as well as Apeer’s ultra-modern, smoothed skinned aluminium alternative, Silka.

Linda Tomb, marketing manager at Apeer, commented: “We are constantly evaluating our product offering in order to ensure it is up to date with consumer trends. We know from the research that went into our latest consumer marketing campaign, that homeowners are now putting the same attention to detail into choosing a new front door, as they would for a new kitchen, or home furnishings for instance. “Style is extremely important, and Sweet delivers exactly the contemporary aesthetic and range of colours – such as Rose Gold – that homeowners are looking for,” continued Linda. “Smart enabled household

“Combined, the addition of Sweet and the Ultion Smart lock will help to ensure that our trade partners continue to have access to a comprehensive range of options, and that they are properly equipped to win more business as a result.” 46

products are also becoming increasingly popular, and Brisant Secure’s Ultion Smart lock is a leading example of next generation technology for entrance doors that, like Sweet, is a perfect match for our composite offering. “Combined, the addition of Sweet and the Ultion Smart lock will help to ensure that our trade partners continue to have access to a comprehensive range of options, and that they are properly equipped to win more business as a result.” Apeer will be offering the full Sweet hardware package from Brisant Secure, including the handle, letterbox, two-part knocker, numerals and letters in Rose

GREENTEQ INVICTA SHOOTBOLT COMPLETES THE RANGE Hardware expert VBH has added the Invicta shootbolt locking system for outward opening windows to its greenteQ range of premium quality window and door hardware and furniture. Invicta has been successfully tested to PAS24 on a number of profiles and is suitable for windows where a high security locking system is required. The system consists of a gearbox, in a choice of industry standard 20 or 22mm backsets, and a series of extensions to cover sash sizes up to 1540mm. The extensions are connected to the gearbox and secured in place by an attractive central cover plate, which clearly announces the shootbolt as a greenteQ product. The shootbolts themselves can be set to project by 15mm through the striker plate and penetrate into the profile if desired, or to a lesser projection if preferred. A comprehensive range of night vent mushroom strikers and shootbolt strikers is available. VBH Marketing Manager Gary Gleeson says “Invicta sits alongside our other greenteQ casement window products including Alpha handles, Delta hinges and Q-Vents to give fabricators the option of going for a full greenteQ window package.

“The Invicta name was chosen for two reasons. As well as being the name of the rampant white horse which is the symbol of our home county of Kent, Invicta is also Latin for unconquered or unvanquished, which is very apt when you see how well it performs during PAS24 testing.” The greenteQ Invicta shootbolt is covered by the Q-secure homeowner security guarantee scheme, which promises to pay the homeowner up to £8000 in compensation if a break in is successfully achieved due to hardware failure. To find out more about Invicta or Q-secure, visit www.vbhgb.com or www.qsecure.co.uk, email sales@vbhgb.com, or call 01634 263263.

Gold, Gold, Chrome, Black and Satin Silver. The Ultion Smart lock, which is compatible with the Samsung SmartThings app, Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa, will be available from Apeer with a lever handle and escutcheon plate option in Rose Gold, Gold, Chrome and Black. Featuring a range of automated options such as auto unlock, auto lock and auto open, Ultion Smart combines 3-Star security with stateof-the art smart operation. www.apeer.co.uk

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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HARDWARE & SECURITY

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

APEER UPGRADES COMPOSITE DOOR OFFER WITH COMPREHENSIVE NEW HARDWARE RANGE Apeer has unveiled a comprehensive new collection of hardware and door furniture, available on selected styles within its market leading composite door portfolio.

Of particular note within the new hardware options are the Heritage and Architectural ranges. Ideal for rustic oak-style doors installed on period buildings and cottages, Heritage handles include such classics as teardrops and monkey tails, with matching accessories including knockers and letterplates. And, as might be expected, Architectural door furniture offers clean, sleek lines with finishes in chrome and satin silver.

The latest hardware offer consists of 60 new pieces that have been designed to suit a wide variety of home styles and complements the recent introduction of the contemporary Sweet hardware range and Ultion Smart lock from Brisant Secure, as well as the latest security upgrades to the slab used on all Apeer doors.

Similarly, the Forged Black and ‘beaten’ Pewter options, provide authentic detailing for homeowners choosing doors to complement period-style homes, but who prefer a ‘hand-forged’ appearance.

The composite door manufacturer has reported high levels of activity throughout the course of 2020, despite the challenges imposed by the Coronavirus, while the introduction of an exciting, consumer facing marketing campaign has been perfectly timed to correspond with a significant increase in demand for home improvements over the summer months. As a result, Apeer adds that these latest additions to its product range have helped to further extend the appeal to homeowners specifying its doors through the Doorbuilder function on the company’s website as well as to its network of retailers located throughout the UK and Ireland.

A new anti-bacterial handle has also been introduced, in response to a demand for solutions to help prevent the

spread of Covid-19. Designed with simple, clean lines the handle has an antibacterial and antimicrobial surface that suppresses the growth of pathogens on the handle, as confirmed by independent lab and practice tests. Apeer’s Managing Director, Asa McGillian, says the company is working hard to ensure its products appeal to the widest audience: “We continuously review the specification of our products to appeal to every price-point and taste. We were especially impressed with the Heritage and Forged Black ranges for their authenticity in appearance and excellent product quality, when we were looking at extending into homes with a more rural or period style.” www.apeer.co.uk

NEW SFS DYNAMIC HINGE FOR ENDURANCE After the recent launch of a new range of door knockers and notably the new branded ABS 3-Star cylinder, Endurance Doors have launched the option of an SFS Dynamic Hinge in response to customer demand for an alternative product. The existing hinge is well liked by customers, but some prefer the design features of the SFS Hinge, as Stephen Nadin, Managing Director of Endurance Doors points out. He said: ‘As an independent, privately owned business, we can make decisions quickly and for the betterment of our Installer Partners. The launch of this hinge came about from requests from some customers and in conjunction with the proactive work of Ian Murgett, our continuous improvement manager. Ultimately, it was a quick and easy decision to add the hinge to the Endurance door options.’

markets and is available in eight different finishes. Features include the low-profile hinge stack which helps eliminating damage to plaster reveals and decorations, along with a constant 4mm adjustment space, so there’s no need to adjust the top pin in relation to the bottom pin

The SFS Dynamic hinge is very highly regarded across the glazing and fenestration

You can also add to the Twitter following @EnduranceDoors.

For further information on the Endurance Solid and Secure composite door range and a free marketing pack, please call the sales office on 01652 659259, visit the new website at https://endurancedoors.co.uk, or e-mail marketing@endurancedoors.co.uk.

NEW YALE QUARTUS ESPAG HANDLE FROM CARL F GROUPCO Carl F Groupco, the major stockist of Yale hardware, has added the affordable and stylish new Quartus Espag handle to its catalogue. Featuring the leading lock manufacturer’s coveted push to unlatch mechanism, the Yale Quartus is available in a new colour range including champagne gold, satin black and enhanced silver for improved consistency in colour matching. The comprehensive colour range also includes chrome and white finishes ensuring that this new addition will look elegant in every setting. With clean design lines, user-friendly functionality and high-performance security, the Quartus is available in inline and offset options. Designed, developed and tested in the UK to Yale’s exacting standards, the handle is the ideal choice for aluminium and PVCu windows.

Supplied with a Yale branded key and screws, colour matched screw caps and cylinder plug to achieve a non-locking solution, the Quartus also features key operated locking and deadlocking. The zinc and aluminium alloy handle is tested to BS EN 1670:2007 Grade 4 (240hrs. NSST) and BS 6375 Part 2 (Classification EN 12400) Class – 20,000 cycles. The Quartus has a lifetime security guarantee when used with other Yale security hardware. Guarantees offered are 10 years for both mechanical and surface finish. www.carlfgroupco.co.uk Follow Carl F Groupco on Twitter using the handles @Carl_F_Groupco and @_SmartSecure

The new Yale Quartus window handle featuring enhanced colour range and Yale’s unique push to unlatch mechanism is available from Carl F Groupco

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

HARDWARE & SECURITY

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

Machiner y

Sawing and Machining as it should be

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OLING RI O T N 5

– 450 – 650 – 1100 ZX3 550 ZX5 800 AUTOFLOW-2 350 per week per week per week All models manufactured entirely in the UK from components resourced in this country. Whatever your production output or budget requirements if you fabricate upvc window or door frames we have the sawing and machining center for you. Stuga fully guarantee the output of their sawing & machining centers. Save operators • Save profile • Reduce skills • Improve efficiency, quality and consistency. All models have rotary tooling, reusable offcut management, high frequency prepping heads, barcode & picture label printer and management analysis software. Routing and notching on both sides of a profile standard on all models. Also fully guaranteed factory rebuilds offered subject to availability.

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

01493 742348 Ask for machine sales or visit www.stuga.co.uk

MACHINERY FOCUS

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

H&H ADDS AN EMMEGI WHY CHOOSING ACE CARD TO ITS DECK A THIRD-PARTY H&H Architectural Systems in Rowley Regis has become the first fabricator in the UK to have a brand new Emmegi Comet X6HP machining centre installed. The new model variant features a single work area for machining bars up to 7m long without having to move the profile and a pendular mode which allows for two independent work areas if required. It is a large scale 4-axis CNC machine designed to maximise volumes and optimise efficiency. The two work areas and two supplementary axes to position the vices and reference stops mean that fabricators can potentially work on four separate pieces at the same time, while the 7m makes it ideal for fabricators producing curtain walling. H&H, which designs, manufactures and installs bespoke aluminium features and fabrications for commercial clients across the UK, chose the Comet X6HP to replace a much smaller, less capable machine from a different manufacturer as it prepares for the next stage in an ambitious expansion programme. Managing Director Alan Hilsdon explained: “We were looking for a machine which would allow us to increase output in line with our planned growth, without increasing our manpower. We liked the fact that the Comet X6HP was a brand-new model with all the features we wanted and at a price which we knew we would give us a quantifiable payback.” “We’re really delighted to be the first fabricator in the UK to have this superb machine installed in our factory – it’s nice to have another ace card in our deck!” H&H had never bought from Emmegi before and the team had no preconceived expectations, beyond the fact that the machine design and quality would be good.

“H&H is the first fabricator to have the X6HP installed but we are already seeing further enquiries from other companies looking to upgrade to the very latest model.” However, what has particularly impressed H&H has been the customer experience from Emmegi, which Alan was keen to point out has been outstanding throughout. He added: “The entire buying journey was excellent – from the first contact right through to the commissioning. “The Emmegi team took the time to understand exactly what we needed from our machine in terms of features and output before recommending the X6HP model as the ideal solution. They kept us informed throughout and the installation and commissioning were smooth and straightforward. We cannot fault the service and professionalism.”

REPAIRER FOR MACHINE SERVICING AND REPAIRS MIGHT BE A FALSE ECONOMY

When budgets are tight, it’s understandable to want to reduce costs and save money. But saving money by turning to unauthorised third-party service agents rather than sticking with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), can actually end up costing fabricators more in the end, and here’s why. Firstly, only the OEM will have access to technical data, systems, drawings and guaranteed original spare parts for every single machine in their range.

Ian Latimer, Emmegi’s Managing Director says that the launch of the X6HP is typical of Emmegi’s approach to customisation – continually improving its core product range to add useful new features. He says: “The Comet range is already hugely popular but Emmegi never rests on its laurels and is always looking to push further advancements and be first with the latest innovations.

Secondly, only the OEM will have access to the latest software and safe system updates which are essential to the efficient running of any machine. These are identified and provided during routine maintenance and repairs; but won’t be available to any third party.

“H&H is the first fabricator to have the X6HP installed but we are already seeing further enquiries from other companies looking to upgrade to the very latest model.”

It’s not a question of OEMs deliberately excluding third party repairers to gain some kind of commercial advantage. I think customers will appreciate that the only way we can warranty our machines and our components is if we know that they have only been worked on by technicians trained by us.

More details at: www.emmegi.com and http://www.warleyholdings.co.uk/

And thirdly, only the OEM will have a team who can guarantee that all works will be carried out to their pre-defined standards.

Beyond that though, there are risks and potential pitfalls associated with using a third party which many fabricators might not even have considered. The biggest risk comes from a health and safety perspective. If an accident were to happen involving any piece of equipment and machinery, the HSE will want to see the training records not just of the users of the machine, but also of anyone who has carried out any maintenance or repair. The onus will be on the manufacturer to show that the equipment was being operated and maintained in accordance with the OEM’s recommended periods and processes and also by persons with the relevant skills and training. If you are tempted to use a third-party service agent, you will need to ask them to provide the necessary evidence before they start work.And, when it comes to costs, it’s

Wayne Hunter, Service and Operations Manager, Emmegi (UK)

important to look beyond the hourly charge. If a third-party repairer can’t complete the work quickly or they don’t follow the correct procedures, then the actual costs can be much higher than you expected. If they have to wait for a part for example, then the downtime costs for the machine will almost invariably outweigh any saving you might have made. Like so much in life, if it looks too good to be true, then it almost invariably will be! Emmegi has a team of highly trained engineers operating across the country and a warehouse in Coventry fully stocked with spares, so we will always be able to dispatch one of our team to carry out repairs quickly and efficiently. We can also, of course, schedule in routine maintenance at times to suit customers. Added to that, if demand surges for any particular reason, we can even draft in engineers from Italy to keep our response levels high. We do our best to keep our servicing costs down and our quality and response levels up. Fundamentally, what we want is strong and positive relationships with our customers, and the key to that is providing an outstanding service which means our customers simply don’t want to go anywhere else. More info via: service.uk@emmegi.com or on: 02476 676192. By Wayne Hunter, Service and Operations Manager, Emmegi (UK)

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

TRADE NEWS

MACHINERY FOCUS

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

CELEBRATING

30 YEARS IN BUSINESS

Haffner Murat, the industry’s go-to machinery supplier, is celebrating 30 years in business this year. It isn’t the anniversary the team had planned, but as Managing Director Dave Thomas looks back at his company’s growth, he says the future is looking bright. These days, our Staffordshire headquarters have doubled in size and we have just invested in a 37,000 sq ft facility in Istanbul to cope with worldwide demand. I’m immensely proud of how far we’ve come because it’s a far cry from where we started.

THE BEGINNINGS OF HAFFNER When I took the decision to set up on my own working with Haffner Germany, the UK business was just me. My office was my back bedroom. I invested in a good quality car and a mobile phone because it was important to me to make the right impression on customers and always be available for them. I was particularly proud of the mobile phone, but looking back, it was like a housebrick! I’d spend my days on the road and my evenings in my ‘office’ preparing quotes. My ethos has always been straightforward. I’ve always believed in putting the customer first, even if that means not making as big a sale as I could. Combined with my background in engineering, it means people can trust the advice they receive from me. I think customers could see this right from the start and knew they were getting good advice about what automation could bring to their business, not the hard sell. It meant things started to take off pretty quickly.

BUILDING A BUSINESS Once I’d proved the business model could work, I knew I wanted to build it to the point where it was the first-choice machinery supplier for anyone in the fenestration industry. We have always been the sole UK agent of Haffner and Murat Machinery. The company designs and manufactures innovative and high-quality engineered products at some of the most competitive industry prices. Based in Istanbul in Turkey, the company supplies products to over 95 countries worldwide.

But if we wanted to expand the business, we needed to expand our partnerships. We are now agents for both FOM and Italmac aluminium fabrication machinery. Both businesses have an international reputation for quality machinery that combines the latest technology with skilled engineering and competitive prices. We also offer part exchange on machinery purchases, which in turn means we are able to offer reconditioned machinery to customers. Our engineering focus means we can emphasise quality and offer six-month warranties on reconditioned machinery to give peace of mind in the investment. Our engineering expertise also means we aren’t restricted to off-the-shelf machines either. We can work with fabricators to develop bespoke machine solutions, which can be designed and built within 12 to 16 weeks, depending on the machine complexity. In all our interactions with customers, we still believe in putting their needs first. We offer free, impartial consultancy as standard. We listen closely to their requirements and use our expertise to recommend the solution that will give them what they need, whether that’s a standard machine, a bespoke or a reconditioned option. The business continued to grow steadily, even during the recession of 2008. So as the last decade closed, we were looking forward to the 2020s, not least because it would start

with our 30th year in business. Of course, what happened was something no one could have predicted.

A PIVOT TO MASK PRODUCTION Like most other manufacturers, we closed our doors in March, furloughing all but a skeleton staff. But two things were very clear. The first thing was that we had a great deal of engineering knowledge that we could put to good use in supporting the fight against the pandemic, particularly the critical shortage of face masks throughout the world.

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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“As well as new customers, we have also heard from existing customers looking to expand or upgrade as volumes have increased.” We purchased the manufacturing equipment needed and thanks to the expertise of our talented production engineers, we achieved the relevant accreditations to be able to manufacture and supply surgical masks globally. Production commenced in April and we are opening a new dedicated factory in Istanbul and building 25 machines to fulfil growing order volumes. By opening a new facility to focus on face mask production, we can maintain lead times for our core operation, which is automated fabrication machinery.

THE CONTINUING AND GROWING IMPORTANCE OF AUTOMATION The second point as lockdown continued was that the case for automation would become even more compelling to fabricators upon their return to manufacture. Social distancing measures are likely to be here for at least the foreseeable future, so fabricators looking at solutions should be looking at the long term as well as the short term. We have always highlighted how automation gives you the ability to do more with less because one machine can do the work of several people. Automation therefore delivers dramatic increases in efficiency and therefore profitability. But it also provides a solution for having the minimum number of people needed on site without compromising on productivity or lead times. Then there’s the scalability to consider. Automated setups can be scaled up and scaled down in an instant, giving you the means to react to demand incredibly quickly. Perhaps the best way to make the case for automation is to look at what some of our machines can deliver:

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

• The SMR-5 PVC-u Welder, designed by myself, takes less than a minute to weld four squares, making it the fastest inline welder in the world. It’s also capable of welding two corner/transom/corner windows or one window and two sashes in a single operation. It can weld five H welds in less than four minutes and change from corners to transoms in seconds. • The FA 537 Heritage Double Sided End Milling Machine mills two joints in one operation because the 45 degree and 90 degree milling and sawblade cutting are carried out in one pass for the butt joint finish of the outer face. • The AL220/70 Aluminium Profile Machining Centre is a single, computercontrolled machine with a shift monitoring system, so all operations can be controlled daily, weekly, monthly and annually. It carries out all sawing, milling, drilling and marking operations on aluminium profiles and has features that speed up operation, reduce wastage and deliver quality.

a machine in action for yourself. Before, potential customers would see our machines at an existing customer’s premises or at shows such as the FIT Show or Fensterbau. These obviously haven’t been options in the past few months. We have embraced digital content for some time with a range of machine videos but we have also taken the opportunity to bring forward something we’d been planning to do in the next twelve months. Having doubled the size of our UK headquarters last year, we had always intended to use some of the additional space to have a range of aluminium and PVC-u machinery from Haffner, Italmac and FOM on display at any one time. We’ve now done this and customers can see the machines for themselves, while being reassured that we are meeting all social distancing and health and safety protocols.

STILL AMBITIOUS FOR THE FUTURE

OPERATING IN THE NEW NORMAL

Throughout the lockdown we received regular enquiries from fabricators who could see the value of automation in the new normal and this trend has continued especially with the industry boom we have all witnessed. As well as new customers, we have also heard from existing customers looking to expand or upgrade as volumes have increased. This repeat business is one of the things we are most proud of. It’s proof of the quality and efficiency of our machinery as well as the service we continue to offer.

It’s easy to make the case for automation, but often the most compelling evidence is seeing

It all means that despite the setback of 2020, we are still on track. Personally, I’ve

The common denominator with all these machines is their ability to offer incredible efficiency and accuracy. Many also only require one operator. It’s why they have so much to offer fabricators looking to maintain or expand their operations in any economic climate, but perhaps most especially this one.

achieved the ambition I set for the business thirty years ago - to become the first-choice machinery supplier for the fenestration industry. The next step is to maintain this status and continue to grow by providing the service we’ve built our name on. We still have ambitious plans and we have appointed several new sales and support team members in recent months to ensure we deliver at every level. For Haffner Murat, the future is bright. I firmly believe it’s bright for the industry too. This isn’t the year anyone anticipated or probably wanted. But as a business that’s been through the recessions of 1990 and 2008 I know that whatever happens, the industry always comes back stronger and more determined than ever. It’s one of the reasons it’s an industry I’m very proud to serve. So, here’s to the next 30 years – and we’ll raise a glass together in celebration as soon as we’re able. Tel 01785 222421 www.haffnermurat.com

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AUTOMATION IN FABRICATION

GROWS STRONGER

Replacement, output boost, quality improvement, obsolescence are a few of the reasons being quoted for the very high interest and activity in automatic machinery for uPVC and aluminium window and door fabrication but the one that comes up the most here at Stuga is to reduce the reliability and cost of labour. This seems strange at a time of great unemployment and yet the majority of fabricators appear to be either struggling to find good people or simply want to reduce the cost and hassle of employing them when automated machinery investment helps reduce labour costs and improves product accuracy and consistency. Machines normally turn up for work most days even on Monday mornings after major sporting events! They also don’t present industrial relations or H.R. issues on a day to day basis. Another key benefit of automation relates to the potential to create production/ output flexibility. Although some fabricators have a policy to ‘sweat their assets’ as it is often put the more enlightened ones understand that a good policy is to have capacity in production that is above any normal requirements so that the equipment is rarely running at maximum output. This means it is possible to catch up after planned maintenance or the inevitable occasional breakdown without having to work overtime or let customers down with deliveries. A good factory is often said to be running at 80% of maximum production on an ongoing basis with that extra 20% always available to take up the reins when the circumstances require it. If the quiet period is January as a common example then no need to lay workers off when well automated as the equipment just runs for less hours and the low number of operators

employed can be affordably kept on or even go to short time working so that when order levels pick up in March it is pretty easy to turn the output up without being slow to respond or having to recruit again. Many more fabricators are learning this and investing in new automation or additional automated machines. At Stuga we have seen demand like we never imagined since the virus national lockdown and this has brought its own problems with our deliveries extending further out than normal. Increasing machinery building output is really not easy for any machinery company as building automatic machines is very labour intensive and the labour has to be quite well skilled. There is no pool of personnel for this type of work so people have to be trained which takes time and is another constant restraint as training uses up resources that would otherwise be more productive. One of the few downsides to having a full order book as a machinery manufacturer is the potential to lose orders to other machinery companies that for various reasons have quicker deliveries.

Stuga does occasionally suffer from this but normally at the smaller or lower end of the output range of up to 550 windows per week. As Stuga’s top selling machines are well above this capacity the availability is more restricted with the main competitor being on similarly extended deliveries. It is also positive that the vast majority of Stuga customers enjoy the all-round experience so much they do not want to risk changing. Another key factor is that Stuga actually fully manufactures their machines here in the United Kingdom and Stuga customers find this very attractive and comforting, especially now we all live and operate in the corona virus world. The Stuga team has always liked to try to work in partnership with its customers and having been around with a strong presence all the way back to 1999 for automated sawing & machining centers and with stand-alone saws and prepping centers back to 1986 the company, service team and even some of the personnel have been in place for much of this time. Manufacturing fundamentally complicated technical equipment has many challenges and demands both for the manufacturer and the customer so it is very important to have right team and skills in place when things go wrong in order to minimise downtime. For this reason Stuga has a strong technical team. This team meets at noon every day in order to go through any challenges of the

last 24 hours and each case remains to be discussed until any issue is full resolved. Stuga machinery is designed and fully built right here in the UK and with over two hundred fully automatic sawing & machining centers and another two hundred stand-alone sawing centers, prepping centers and routing machines Stuga are always busy keeping machines producing as well as building new and refurbished models. The flagship ZX5 sawing & machining center capable of over 800 windows per week is easily Stuga’s top selling machine with nine currently on back order.

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

AL-220/70 Aluminium Machining Centre –

AUTOMATION AT ITS BEST

Undertakes all sawing, milling, drilling and marking operation

Key Features: • Stacking of 10 profiles (max 6.5m length) • Automatic cutting in all angles between 30° and 150° • High speed precision thanks to 7 axis controlled by servo motors • Ability to open drain slot routing, drilling and milling at variable angles

• Operates with data from various window production software ensuring minimum wastage • Safe production facility via three-dimensional collision and error control system • Finance options available*

Computer controlled technology

Tel 01785 222421 www.haffnermurat.com The Accolade Building, Common Road, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST16 3EQ

* Subject to status. Terms and conditions apply.

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CMS FACADES REAPS DIVIDENDS FROM EMMEGI DON’T QUADRA INVESTMENT

MISS

CMS Facades’ investment in an Emmegi Quadra L2 fully automatic cutting and machining centre in November 2018 doubled its aluminium capacity almost overnight. Two years on, the company says the payback on the machine is coming from the number of large-scale projects it is now winning.

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Stephen Anderson, CMS Facades Director, said: “We were the first company in Scotland to acquire a Quadra L2 and it has definitely given us a real competitive advantage when it comes to façade projects. We can now quote for projects using bigger sections than we could have done previously and we’re building an impressive portfolio of commercial and public sector installations as a result.”

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When CMS initially purchased the Emmegi Quadra L2, they had already been awarded the façade contracts at CALA Homes’ The Crescent at Donaldson’s new build development in Edinburgh and at BAM’s Atlantic Square commercial office development in Glasgow. The Quadra meant that the company could machine the 3m x 3m sliding doors and 300mm curtain wall sections required, and in timeframes up to 25% quicker than with their existing machine. Stephen Anderson added: “The increase in capacity from the Quadra is not just about scale and volume but about throughput as well. We can now machine bigger sections up to 7.5m in length, more quickly and more accurately; and that’s proving a real selling point for both new and existing customers. We estimated payback would be within 2-3 years and we are certainly on target to achieve that.” For CMS customers, the most obvious benefit of their investment comes from the fact that the Quadra L2 delivers levels of precision and accuracy on cuts and preps which are rarely possible on separate saws and machining centres where the profiles have to be repeatedly loaded and repositioned.

Don’t forget!

The Quadra L2 can cut, machine and transom notch all in one operation and machine profiles continuously in 360° without any need to reposition the bar. It automatically adjusts for different profile sizes and even different systems, so is ideal for CMS which fabricates in profiles from a number of different suppliers. Another real positive for CMS, which was founded on a commitment to environmental sustainability, is the minimal level of wastage from the Quadra. This comes from the fact that the machine is so easy to set up and programme that there are very few operator errors. CMS was already a loyal Emmegi customer when the team decided to purchase the Quadra, with a factory which included an Emmegi saw, router, end milling

machine and crimper. The support which Emmegi delivered on the installation and commissioning of the machine and the follow up training it provided for operators and maintenance staff has strengthened the relationship still further. Emmegi (UK)’s Managing Director Ian Latimer added: “At CMS Facades, they have definitely led the way when it comes to leveraging the maximum commercial benefits from their Quadra investment. They are achieving payback very much in line with what we predicted for this scale of operation and are impressing customers with the quality of the output which is really good news.” More details are at: www.emmegi.com and www.cmswindows.com.

Exclusive Editor Interviews (free to advertisers) Face to Face features (free to advertisers) Women In Industry (free to advertisers) A Day in the Life of (free to advertisers) Please email: christina@glassnews.co.uk or call 01302 278756 November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

GLASS

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ANTIMICROBIAL GLASS READY FOR LAUNCH AFTER OBTAINING THIRD PARTY VERIFICATION

TUFFX: THE EASY CHOICE FOR TOUGHENED GLASS A holiday lodge overlooking a stunning Scottish loch deserves something a little special when it comes to the finishing touches. And leading glass specialist TuffX was proud to be chosen to fulfil the brief. The homeowners wanted an aesthetically pleasing balustrade to enjoy the great views from the property, while being assured the elegant finished product also offered the highest level of safety. TuffX fulfilled the brief by supplying around 15m2 of 10mm clear toughened safety glass, with 10mm radius corners and polished edges, delivered to the customer using a dedicated vehicle. The customer commented on being impressed not only with the quality of the product, but also with TuffX’s fast quotation and response times and excellent communication, as they were kept up to date with the order’s progress throughout the process. The finished result is a stunning balcony wrapped around the lodge, enhancing the footprint of the living space outside and providing the occupants with their own private haven without compromising on natural light and space. Uninterrupted views from the property’s glass doors stretch right across the loch to the rolling hills beyond. “We’re pleased that this year just like any other we're still the first choice for customers demanding top quality, greatlooking, safety glass – and in this case also required on a quick lead-time,” TuffX’s Managing Director Graham Price said. “We’ve been the leading safety glass manufacturer for over 20 years now, supplying glass balustrading to everything from smaller domestic projects to large-scale commercial builds, and this is just the type of commission we are proud to excel at.” www.tuffxglass.co.uk

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

A new coated glass product designed by the NSG Group to help reduce the transmission of microbes via surfaces in shared spaces and public transport, is ready for launch after its antimicrobial properties were verified through independent third-party testing. The launch of the new glass product, Pilkington SaniTise™, follows the glass giant’s Lancashire based research and development team fast tracking its research into antimicrobial coatings in the wake of the pandemic. The work was supported by testing at leading UK universities. Pilkington SaniTise™ is a transparent coated glass that’s activated through UV radiation. When the glass is exposed to UV light, its antimicrobial activity is significantly increased compared to using uncoated glass. Pilkington SaniTise™ has a pyrolytic coating, which provides antimicrobial properties and acts against enveloped viruses on the glass surface. The coated glass provides extra protection for any high-touch surfaces that are exposed to UV light. The company says it’s suited for building façades in the commercial, healthcare, education, retail & hospitality sectors, as the insulating glass unit’s (IGU) interior surface on any exterior wall system. It’s also designed for use in all types of public transport such as buses, trains and passenger boats.

Pilkington SaniTise™ is available on multiple tints, and thicknesses. The durable pyrolytic on-line coating lasts the lifetime of the glass and can be toughened, laminated, bent or processed into insulating glass units using standard techniques. The product is also compatible with harsh commercial grade cleaning products and is highly resistant to corrosion, mechanical and chemical damage. Neil McSporran, Global Portfolio Manager – Incubator Program, at the NSG Group, said “Some viruses can live on glass surfaces for days if left untreated, creating a risk for people to become infected through contact transmission. “Pilkington SaniTise™ ultimately helps to reduce the chances of this happening, which could make a big difference in hightouch applications such as shopping centre doorways or the passenger window of a bus, for example. “Obtaining third party verification of the coatings effectiveness is a huge milestone, which represents a major push by our UKbased R&D team to respond to the very new challenges that the built environment and transport faces in the wake of the pandemic.” For more information, visit: pilkington.co.uk/sanitise

GLASS FUTURES WELCOMES UK GOVERNMENT £15 MILLION GRANT FOR GROUND-BREAKING PROJECT Following the announcement of a £15m capital grant from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge to bring globally leading capacity to the Glass Futures’ Centre of Excellence in St Helens, Glass Futures’ Chief Executive Richard Katz, said: “This £15m funding is an essential catalyst to kickstart the delivery of Glass Futures’ £54m Global Centre of Excellence in St Helens, an area rich in glass history. The state-of-the-art facility will enable Glass Futures and its members to work collaboratively to research and develop innovative solutions enhancing resource efficiency, moving the industry closer to sustainable low-carbon glass production and increasing productivity.” The £15m UKRI grant will be used to install a collaboratively designed, globally unique, experimental furnace and state of the art infrastructure capable of producing 30 tonnes of glass per day. This line will enable Glass Futures’ members and researchers to work together with academia to test alternative fuels, new raw materials, Industry 4.0 concepts, demonstrate new products and develop new processes, enabling the Glass Industry to implement change in a safe experimental space. Developments at the facility will also have profound implications for other Industries such as Chemicals, Ceramics, Paper, Steel and Cement. Together with Glass, these industries known as Foundation Industries provide the foundations for civilisation. They share common challenges and require similar developments and, although Glass Futures’ primary focus is the glass sector, it is hoped many of the industry efficiency projects can be directly implemented in other Foundation Industries. Glass Futures is a not-for-profit membership organisation with a Board comprising leading individuals from the global glass industry, its supply chain and academia. The facility will also enable highly diverse apprenticeships and a unique centre to up-skill workers across the total glass supply chain, tapping into existing and potential talent within the St Helens’ community, across the Northern Powerhouse and internationally. The facility will attract inward investment to the north-west of England as leading players across the glass supply chain and academia begin to use the facility for R&D, training, conferences and even as a new base for parts of their business. https://bit.ly/3jGSYNv

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www.improve-magazine.co.uk Now, more than ever, homeowners are looking at how to improve their homes. With holidays off the agenda for the foreseeable, consumers are more than likely to spend their cash elsewhere and as consumer research trends suggest, this will be on extra living space, gardens, home offices and home improvements.

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‘LET’S GO AFTER THE THREE-PIECE SUITE’ APEER’S NEW MARKETING ELEVATES ENTRANCE DOORS, CHALLENGES THE HOME DÉCOR MARKET

“We want homeowners to understand that they can add a new front door to their homes that will match their interior décor, add value to the property and improve its performance, for the price of a decent three-piece suite.” That was the challenge that Apeer boss Asa McGillian gave to his marketing team late last year, following marked success that the company’s earlier direct-to-consumer marketing strategy enjoyed during 2019. “For years we have had mixed success with the various home improvement and ideal home exhibitions that used to be held up and down the country,” explained Asa, “but those proved to be expensive and actually, exhausting, so we decided to look at reaching homeowners through social media and other channels.” That campaign dramatically improved the hit rate and ultimately, the number of sales leads the company delivered to its dealer network located throughout the UK and Ireland. The 2020 revision, fully unveiled recently after being delayed by the company’s creative team being locked down, takes what the company learned and develops its approach to new levels. Central to Apeer’s approach is a greater commitment to ‘lifestyle’ imagery and language, though now with a growing emphasis on reducing the ‘home improvements’ references still further: “Of course our market is very much home improvements,” affirms Asa, “but any of our doorsets can be installed for the price of a reasonable set of furniture. And rather than a ‘front door’ simply being a practical means of entering and securing a home, we have the ability to make and sell a large range of door styles that can be pretty much customised to any homeowners’ desires. All of which should appeal to them not just

The big reveal for all of the new marketing assets was originally scheduled for June but as with so much this year, Covid played its part in delaying the launch of the final, key elements until October. 60

“We decided to continue with our marketing throughout lockdown and that decision proved incredibly successful for us as we enjoyed thousands of views of all of our videos,” said Asa. “We took hundreds of leads in that time that our distributors were able to follow up as lockdown ended. And that evidence confirms that our approach, using the sort of high quality, stylish imagery that has been applied to other elements of home and lifestyle, works just as well for what used to be something that was thrown in with a houseful of windows. How things have changed,” concluded Asa. www.apeer.co.uk Asa McGillian

for when the old front door is falling off its hinges, but why not when they decide to just give the place a general makeover?” The big reveal for all of the new marketing assets was originally scheduled for June but as with so much this year, Covid played its part in delaying the launch of the final, key elements until October. Nonetheless, Apeer was able to complete and broadcast a series of seven highly original and creative videos just as lockdown kicked in in March, which served the company well in two ways: the first was that broadcast through lockdown proved highly successful as homeowners spent greater periods surfing the ‘net in search of inspiration for the improvement of their homes; and the second was that these offered Apeer a ‘test drive’ of the broader style and concept of their new marketing approach. The extraordinary response to the videos proved the case and work continued with the latest assets which include the website and brochures, that once again are reaching homeowners through the social media channels that proved so effective with the videos. These again utilise high quality photography and graphics to portray the ‘perfect lifestyles’ of Apeer homeowners, with increasing use of product imagery, features and benefits as the reader progresses through the website and brochure. Potential buyers will be encouraged to design their own doors using Apeer’s ‘Doorbuilder’ facility, which has also been improved on the new website. Sales leads generated are immediately distributed to local installers in the Apeer Dealer network.

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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WHICH DOOR?

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ENDURANCE GIVES A 3MM BOWING GUARANTEE Endurance Doors continues to communicate clearly to customers and their latest announcement of a 3mm bowing guarantee for their solid and secure composite doors, has been warmly welcomed by their nationwide network of Installer Partners. The performance of some solid core composite doors has come under great scrutiny during the year, and product liabilities have become a major issue for some businesses. Yet with Endurance Doors embracing their unique Moisture Barrier System, CoolSkin PVCu door skins, along with the fact that they wet seal the glazing apertures, product remedials have all but disappeared completely. Now that autumn has arrived, the UK is facing over 6 months when entrance doors will be subject to rain, wind and even snow. It’s this time of year where

product failures start to increase and with record consumer demand for doors and windows, installers will find it difficult to service these issues, particularly if they’re door supplier rejects the claims or makes it difficult to raise an issue. Stephen Nadin, Managing Director of Endurance Doors commented: ‘Our price freeze for 2020 went down very well with our Installer Partners and now our 3mm bowing guarantee will give them even more confidence and trust in us, with the promise of the long-term, trouble-free performance of an Endurance Door. He continued: ‘Product liabilities have been an issue for the composite door sector at times and so that’s why we’ve invested in better materials and production processes since 2002. This is to make our doors a standout performer, backed with exceptional customer service and a powerful marketing programme.’ For further information on the Endurance Solid and Secure composite door range and a free marketing pack, please call the sales office on 01652 659259, visit the new website at https://endurancedoors.co.uk, or e-mail marketing@endurancedoors.co.uk. You can also add to the Twitter following @EnduranceDoors.

INVEST IN THE NEW APEER ROSE GOLD STANDARD FROM APEER The new Rose Gold Collection from Apeer curates the very best door designs with exquisite glass, door furniture and hardware to produce one of the most vibrant and distinctive combinations ever to be offered on composite entrance doors in the British and Irish home improvement markets. And as homeowners’ tastes become ever more individual, this collection provides a cutting edge for installers looking to separate their offer from the competition. Brisant’s exciting new Sweet door furniture combines beautifully with Apeer’s pink door shades to offer a thoroughly on-trend combination, whilst creams and pastel colours allow an even bolder choice to bring out the rich hues of the furniture and exciting designs of cassettes and sidelights produced by Apeer’s glass studio. Sweet hardware has been widely applauded for bringing an exciting new edge to both the performance of its furniture range – for example it has been tested to withstand over 30 times the limit required for the official EN 1906:2012 corrosion standard – with great attention given to aesthetics that offer homeowners the ability to bring individuality to the designs of their entrance doors. When mated to Apeer’s portfolio of composite doors, including the Traditional, Contemporary and Modo ranges, and especially the company’s ultramodern, smoothed skinned aluminium alternative, Silka, and in a limitless choice of colours and glass options, personal expression knows no limits. Door

furniture includes lever handle, escutcheon and letter plate options in Rose Gold, Gold, Chrome and Black. “The Apeer Rose Gold Collection is the perfect embodiment of our assertion that composite residential doors may be bought as much a part of the styling of a home, as for function,” says Apeer’s Asa McGillian. “And that homeowners may easily tie in the styling of their entrance door with home decoration, as much as being a part of larger, more radical - and therefore less frequent - home improvement projects.” Function and performance remain paramount however, with all Apeer doors now benefiting from a strengthened aluminium mesh in their core, combined with class-leading thermal performance and the highest specification security hardware. A further option is Brisant’s impressive Ultion Smart lock for ‘next generation’ security and access technology. Tel: 0845 0945 215 - www.apeer.co.uk

“The Apeer Rose Gold Collection is the perfect embodiment of our assertion that composite residential doors may be bought as much a part of the styling of a home, as for function." November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

SOFTWARE & IT

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HOSTING PRO KEEPS WEBSITES WORKING HARD The Coronavirus crisis has turbocharged the digital economy, with internet browsing, social media use and online retail sales all hitting record levels during and after the lockdown. Even as we all adjust to a new, socially distanced normal with greater freedoms punctuated by local or intermittent lockdowns, there is a growing recognition across the entire economy that there is no going back when it comes to the shift online. Across the whole of the fenestration industry,

that means businesses are having to look more closely than ever before at their web presence to make sure that it is working as hard and as effectively as possible for them. As one of the industry’s leading web designers, The Consultancy has been pulling out all the stops over recent months supporting clients with existing websites and developing sites for new customers who are trying to strengthen their online offering. One of the new initiatives introduced this month is a new hosting service which

ensures that clients’ websites are always kept fully up to date. ‘Hosting Pro’ from The Consultancy enables both new and existing clients to pay a fixed monthly fee to ensure that their websites do not degrade after launch and are proactively maintained with everything from security patches to browser updates. Richie Thornton, Director at The Consultancy, says the company is responding to demand in a market where optimising the performance of websites and keeping them up to date has never been more important. He explains: “If you neglect maintenance and updates on your website, even on a new one, eventually the user experience will suffer. This new service helps our clients avoid that and gives them peace of mind that their website is always working as hard as it can.” Hosting Pro is now available as an option to all clients of The Consultancy, regardless of how long ago their site was created. More details, including costs, are available from: info@theconsultancy.co.uk. Tel: 01429 239689 www.theconsultancy.co.uk

ICENI PUTS FAITH IN BUSINESS MICROS Business Micros software has been at the heart of the Iceni Windows operation for more than 20 years, and products such as Evolution, EvoSatellite and EvoNet have helped the Essex based fabricator to become a real force in the trade market. Hardly surprising then that, as Iceni Windows prepares for the next big chapter in its expansion, it is putting Business Micros software at the centre of its plans once more. Iceni Windows is opening two brand new service hubs in January 2021 which will enable it to expand its geographical reach beyond London and the South East and at the same time improve the service it offers to customers. These hubs will serve as distribution points for customers across the UK, enabling Iceni to expand its logistics operation and offer faster and more flexible deliveries. They will also incorporate trade counters and advice centres for installers, low volume builders and DIY customers. Key to the success of the hubs will be a direct connection to the Iceni factory which will be achieved using Business Micros’ brand-new TOUCH software platform. Customers will be able to place orders at the hubs using the TOUCH Vendor software for installers, and Iceni will be able to process those orders using the TOUCH Portal software for fabricators.

It will be a completely joined up system which will work in the hubs and remotely for installers who want to quote and price jobs in their office or direct with customers using real time data from Iceni. The aim is to streamline the entire ordering process and give Iceni a real competitive advantage in the growing trade counter market. Managing Director Paul Foyle says that the timing of the TOUCH launch couldn’t have been better. He says: “For us, the hubs will be all about improving our customer service and getting closer to those customers who are geographically further away from us. “TOUCH gives us the perfect way to achieve that, so we’re really pleased that the products will be available just at the point when the hubs are being rolled out. “We know we can rely on Business Micros to support us in the implementation. They have always been easy to deal with, really listening to what we need and adapting their products and service in response. I’m very confident that, thanks to TOUCH, our partnership is set to go from strength to strength.” More info at: www.bm-touch.co.uk and www.iceniwindows.co.uk.

LIGHT THE BLUE TOUCH PAPER Business Micros is signalling the imminent launch of its new game-changing TOUCH software platform with a raft of new appointments. Jim Pears has been appointed TOUCH Operations Manager and Ian Cranshaw has joined recently appointed Dave Boaler in the TOUCH data team. All three have extensive industry experience and, having worked together previously at Aperture and Synseal, bring with them a formidable team spirit and understanding. As TOUCH Operations Manager, Jim is overseeing the launch of the TOUCH platform, which will start in November with the release of the TOUCH Vendor installer tool. He will be responsible for the efficient roll out of the TOUCH products throughout 2021 and for ensuring that customers who sign up for TOUCH get a market leading experience to match the market leading products.

Jim explained: “I’ll be using my background in project management, business intelligence and e-commerce to get the products delivered on time and give customers the kind of consistently reliable service which they can simply take for granted. “They will have all the tools they need built into products like TOUCH Portal and TOUCH Business to communicate directly with the team here, and efficiency and ease of use will be our top priorities. “Having worked in this industry for many years, I was very aware of the TOUCH project already and the huge potential of TOUCH Vendor for installers and TOUCH Portal for fabricators. “This is a great opportunity to be involved with something really big and, with Ian and Dave on board alongside the impressive Business Micros team, I’m hugely excited.”

The TOUCH data team which includes members from both Business Micros and Group company The Consultancy, as well as Ian Cranshaw and Dave Boaler, is dedicated to keeping the datasets within TOUCH comprehensively up to date. This is key to the success of the platform because all products quoted, ordered or processed within TOUCH use the same data from the moment of enquiry to the moment of manufacturer. End to end compatibility is what sets TOUCH apart from other rival systems in the fenestration market, so resources are understandably being focused around this team. Graeme Bailey, Managing Director at the Business Micros Group, said that the new appointments reflect the strength and confidence in the TOUCH platform: “We’ve made significant investments already in the development of the products and now we’re making further investments ready for the

roll out. We are a very secure and wellresourced business and we are prepared to invest as much as we need to in the launch and beyond. “Jim has the complementary skills we need to keep on driving the project forward and he will have the full backing of the Business Micros Group.” The first TOUCH product to launch will be TOUCH Vendor in November which will allow installers to use either generic or fabricator specific datasets to quote, order and generate sales online. More details are at: www.bm-touch.co.uk.

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

SOFTWARE & IT

INSTALLER FOCUS

DASHBOARD CONTRACT INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS MANAGEMENT TOOL SOFTWARE FROM AB NOW AVAILABLE FREE OF INITIO TAKES THE HASSLE CHARGE ON WEB-BASED OUT OF MARKETING VERSION OF ADMINBASE

MARKETING MADE SIMPLE WITH ADMINBASE CAMPAIGNS

Installers using the market leading AdminBase business management system from Ab Initio can now take advantage of the Campaigns marketing tool, a fully integrated feature that is designed to ensure marketing activity is quicker, easier and more successful. Eliminating the need to rely on third party software, Campaigns enables installation companies to select the leads and customer data they wish to target directly from AdminBase.

Users can then create effective email, SMS, letter or phone marketing campaigns, which can be followed up by tele-canvassers who can then record notes or comments, pushing any new leads generated back into the AdminBase system. “Marketing is, of course, the lifeblood to any installation company, but it can often be a time consuming and unnecessarily difficult task for those using separate marketing tools, such as Mailchimp, that rely on importing leads and data from another system first,” explained Rhonda Ridge, managing director of Ab Initio. “As the Campaigns tool is designed to work in conjunction with AdminBase, compiling the data required for a marketing plan is not only quicker and more efficient but

it’s easier to manage as well. For instance, a marketeer using Campaigns will be able to track who has clicked on emails or can resend or update data easily if required – something that is notoriously difficult to do using Mailchimp. “As any marketing or salesperson will tell you, leads generated from existing customers are the best of all,” continued Rhonda. “AdminBase Campaigns makes it so much easier to get these.” Developed over 12-months, in response to customer feedback requesting a more streamlined way to approach marketing using AdminBase, the Campaigns tool was introduced at the start of 2020 and is priced at £300 per month for unlimited emails. Campaigns also works seamlessly with the latest web-based version of AdminBase, which was introduced in June 2020. Designed to ensure easier connectivity for users working remotely, it can be accessed anywhere, at any time, using a tablet, laptop or PC. The web-based version of AdminBase also features the latest Dashboard contract tracking service. For more information go to: https://www.abinitiosoftware.co.uk.

Installers who sign up to the new web-based version of the AdminBase business management system, from creator Ab Initio, will now be able to use its Dashboard contract management tool, free of charge. An invaluable resource for installation companies, the Dashboard allows users to create a ‘to do’ or checklist for every ongoing lead or contract, with each stage assigned a traffic light system so that managers can keep track of progress ‘at a glance’ rather than having to repeatedly run status reports. Green signifies the overall time allocated to complete a particular action, amber denotes that an action is still pending, and red indicates that it is overdue. With this information presented graphically in the form pie charts, users are able to ‘health check’ active contracts quickly and efficiently. This summarised view is then supported with more detailed contract information listed directly below, highlighting both individual contract values and the collective values of contracts sitting at each stage of the process – from initial enquiry right through to installation and remedial work. “The whole point of AdminBase is to give installers what they need to ensure they have full control of their business,” said Managing Director Rhonda Ridge. “Dashboard is a

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

simple, but highly effective tool that does just that. Rather than wasting time and effort manually keeping on top of how each part of a contract is progressing, Dashboard does all the hard work for you, reducing the risk of bottlenecks and improving efficiency.” Originally introduced over five years ago, Dashboard has been a hugely popular feature among AdminBase customers and is now available at no additional cost for users who sign up to the new web-based version of the business management system. The new web-based version of AdminBase, which was launched in June 2020, has been introduced to allow customers more convenient secure remote access to their company’s data via laptop, tablet or home computer. In addition to a free version of Dashboard, it also includes the AdminBase data export service, Export Data Designer, and can integrate sales leads from an installer customer’s own website, directly into the AdminBase system. For more information go to: https://www.abinitiosoftware.co.uk.

“Rather than wasting time and effort manually keeping on top of how each part of a contract is progressing, Dashboard does all the hard work for you, reducing the risk of bottlenecks and improving efficiency.” 65

INSTALLER FOCUS

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TAP INTO GROWTH

WITH LEKA SYSTEMS Conservatory roof innovators, Leka Systems has reported a significant upturn in demand for their Leka Xi conservatory wall and base system. Leka Xi allows fabricators and installers to tap into the trend for thermally efficient home extensions or freestanding garden rooms whilst offing fast installation too.

lockdown there has been a definite increase in consumers looking at home extensions or freestanding garden rooms. And the Leka Xi is the perfect product to tap into this market. Installers also like the fact they can be constructed in just three to five days therefore limiting the time spent at a consumer’s home which is important at this time.”

Rhys Hoddinott, Managing Director of Leka Systems, explains: “Following

Leka Systems has also confirmed a huge upturn in demand for their conservatory

The intelligently designed Leka Xi is a modular system that’s tailored to homeowner and installer requirements. It’s constructed using a LEKA base, LEKA walls and the popular LEKA roof system. There are three or four-sided options, so that it can be used for both home extensions and freestanding buildings.

roofing products too. Rhys said: “Updating a conservatory with a solid roof has become the most popular way to making a conservatory habitable and represents another massive opportunity for installers and fabricators”.

time we have trained over 400 installers to help them get up and running with Leka products quickly. This figure shows just how quickly Leka products have proved their value in the marketplace and this continues to grow.”

This trend is supported by recent market data that confirmed that 35% of fabricators and installers agree that Solid Conservatory roofs are beginning to overtake the typical glazed conservatory roof with a reported 50% split between replacement conservatory roofs and new builds

Leka Xi and the range of solid and orangery conservatory roof solutions are the practical answer to create the living or working spaces that homeowners’ now desire. Fabricators and installers that highlight the advantages they offer are best placed to capitalise on the market opportunities. And as Leka Systems typically increase a fabricator’s revenue stream by 10-15% in the first year, it’s an opportunity not to be missed!

Rhys concluded: “Before lockdown, we had already seen a huge take-up for replacement conservatory roofs and freestanding extensions and this appetite has grown exponentially in the last few months. Demand has never been stronger and over

For more information visit www.lekasystems.co.uk

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

INSTALLER FOCUS

FIRESIDE CHAT NO. 2:

SUPPORTING NEW BUILD WITH ‘THE POWER OF MANY’ Freefoam Building Products are pleased to announce the launch of the second in a series of videos with Commercial Director Colin St John, covering pertinent themes and current issues around the roofline industry. This latest video sees Colin talking about how Freefoam supply and support the new build sector through a variety of national and local expert suppliers. The video explains Freefoam’s approach to supporting new build customers, being flexible and adapting to the differing needs of a variety of house builders. Colin explains “Some builders want a national supply network while others want to work with specific local suppliers. What we’re trying to do is link the three parts together, housebuilder, supplier and manufacturer.” Future videos to be released this Autumn include a look at the challenges for the supply chain and Freefoam’s consistent approach to supporting and helping its customers grow. View video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBBv9gOAkl4

“What we’re trying to do is link the three parts together, housebuilder, supplier and manufacturer.”

VIDEO LINK

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

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WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

“Marketing budgets, and marketing staff, are usually the first to suffer cuts in difficult times, and many would say, wrongly. But has this past year changed your marketing thinking and efforts, or changed how you market your products or services? Are you using different channels now that face-to-face contact with your customers is restricted? What are those changes and do you think they will become your marketing norm? Indeed, has the need to think outside-the-box actually benefitted your marketing and, in turn, your sales?”

Tracy Pomfret Marketing Manager George Barnsdale During lockdown, George Barnsdale furloughed a number of factory and office staff but I was kept on throughout and was busier than ever, taking the opportunity to work on projects like the customer journey and new website. Enquiries from homeowners grew during this period and the launch of our new brochure generated a lot of engagement. However, the business to business side and our engagement with architects, specifiers and contractors was more challenging since so many in the industry were either working from home or furloughed. We did, however launch our CPD programme at a virtual event with members of the Manchester Society of Architects and this went very well. As things eventually get back to normal, I see virtual engagement through webinars, cpdi, zoom meetings etc as still being popular as employers and staff have witnessed the benefits of homeworking and the convenience of on demand content.

Tom Butler Head of Sales & Marketing, GGF Commercial Group The past year hasn’t necessarily changed our thinking but it has certainly accelerated the shift of what we were planning in the long term and testing new channels for next year. The continuous movement to digital marketing over the last decade will now only increase further given how working patterns and habits have changed. That will continue regardless of how/when the pandemic ends. Whatever companies do next year I would expect to form the core of their marketing campaigns for years to come. With tighter budgets for many, there’ll be a focus on the tangible ROI that PPC provides and how to convert website leads into paying customers. As such, I’d expect to see money spent on SEO and website development. A company’s website has never been more important. Content is the dream in this scenario simply because it’s free and I would expect to see blog and social media page output to increase dramatically with a sharper focus on how social media can become a new revenue stream rather than an audience engagement tool.

Nathan Barr Managing Director, ODL Europe

Dave Thomas Managing Director, Haffner Murat Ltd

Nathan Court Sales Director, Sternfenster

Research shows it’s vital to continue marketing, no matter what the circumstances and we adapted our content across all marketing touchpoints.

In terms of marketing, we knew it was important to stay visible without cutting back on any exposure. We worked closely with our PR & Marketing partner, Team 4 Marketing, to ensure we had regular content being delivered across social media and in digital and print press.

We’d come to conclusion that the b2b rep model was ‘tired’ before COVID-19 hit. Customers don’t want to be ‘hassled’ by reps – people are too busy.

During lockdown, we took the opportunity to look at the marketing fundamentals. We rebuilt our web presence to bring all our products under one roof as well as extend ordering functionality. We also looked at our media presence, stayed visible and developed a strong pipeline of orders throughout. Digital publications and social media platforms were critical for us, but print will always have a place in customer engagement. Like all businesses, we have adapted quickly to the new ways of working. As part of a global business, tools such as Zoom and Teams have long been the norm to us. We now use these to facilitate meetings with customers and suppliers throughout the UK to great effect. Finally, we are looking forward to exhibiting at the inaugural FENEX, a virtual expo that has exciting possibilities to reach and engage with new customers. At a time when face-to-face events are simply not an option, virtual exhibitions offer an exciting new opportunity to engage with potential new business.

We were fortunate that we had strong content too – we started mask production during lockdown to help support the global efforts of PPE. And interestingly, we could also see that automation could only become more important in a world where social distancing is required. The result of our activity was a flood of machine enquiries upon our return! When it comes to sales, we have embraced digital meetings and we had already started to put together a bank of video content of our machines, which gave us a solid head start. We are also able to offer in-person machinery demonstrations at Haffner HQ with robust social distancing measures in place. Overall, the actions we have taken – plus our refusal to cut back on marketing and continue to drive our key messages – has put us in a very strong position going forward.

There will always be a time and a place for personal contact but Zoom, Teams – they work. It allows us to get more done and offer a better level of service to our customers. The past year has also shown us how effective digital tools can be in driving retail sales and how they can be used by fabricators to deliver a better offer to their customers. For example, we generate leads through the Sternfenster Approved Installer Network through our website, chatbots and social media and download them direct into Easy Admin, our customers’ CRM dashboard, in real time. Accessible by phone as well as laptop or desktop, it means installers can also download and follow-up leads while out on site. It also allows customers to track leads, prepare professional quotes, check profit levels, order online, and auto-generate invoices and reports. Leads may not be your number one priority right now, but ‘time back’ – well, we could all do with some of that!

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

Samantha Hill Head of Marketing and Communications, Thermoseal Group When lockdown hit, it was definitely time to put a hold on any expenditure not critical to immediate business needs. It is only when you see the real impact, that you can start to consider what to do next. Imagine if Covid-19 had hit us 20 years ago?! Without the rapid development of digital media technology, we wouldn’t have been able to place online orders for next-day delivery or kept in touch with all our business contacts, friends and family using social media and video calling. Did anyone else sit for hours on frustrating grocery store websites ill-prepared to take such a volume of online orders? I have to take my hat off to Amazon here as they were ready! The UK is one of the leading countries in e-commerce with approximately 25% of retail sales online. This is how I’m currently reviewing the marketing at Thermoseal Group: How are our digital channels fairing and how seamless is our customer interaction? What’s new that we should be offering? Are we digitalready?

Gareth Jones Managing Director, profine UK

Stephen Nadin Managing Director Endurance Doors

Few could have predicted the global pandemic at the beginning of the year, nor the fact that we’d acquire essential assets from the former Aperture Group. So not only did we carry on our marketing programme throughout lockdown, but we also had to start the process of integrating two businesses.

Marketing is very much a moving feast as a business discipline and as external factors impinge on customer engagement, so too do the campaigns and deliverables that we offer, as this year has clearly shown.

Throughout lockdown we kept the KÖMMERLING name top of mind through normal marketing channels, whilst ensuring that Evolve, Legend and Warmcore benefitted from some care and attention, which they are enjoying. We’re also experiencing a strong level of enquiries for companies looking for a better profile partner and being visible throughout has paid dividends. Social media has become a more important marketing tool in the mix, thanks to the ability of getting shorter messages out to a wider audience instantly, which we do with regularity. But like most businesses, we’ve adopted the likes of Zoom and in some ways, it’s become a better use of resources and time. New normal and a new way of working are here to stay and so our marketing will evolve with it.

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

During lockdown we were highly active on social media, produced a COVID-19 Installation Guide and at the latter stages of this enforced period, hosted an Industry Marketing Webinar with our digital partners, ICAAL. We’ve benefitted in several ways as we engaged with existing Installer Partners and with new business opportunities throughout, with swathes of companies eager to find a better composite door partner. More recently we’ve changed the way in which the sales function works, with outbound personnel now spending just one day on the road and the other four conversing with customers via Zoom. Not only have we had to evolve, but so too had our customers and so the digital support packages that we now offer, can help our Installer Partners thrive even when remote selling has become and is, a necessity.

Tracey Jackson Business Development Manager, Howells Patent Glazing

John Park-Davies Managing Director, IKON Aluminium Systems

The ‘C’ word is giving many a sales and marketing department palpitations but regardless, we must use this time as an opportunity reflect and regrow. The burning question of whether to cut budgets or increase, really comes down to the individual company. Here at Howells, we are focusing on quality rather than quantity - making sure that every element of our marketing and PR strategy has value and impact. As such, we are continually evaluating what’s working and what’s not.

Adaptability in these genuinely remarkable times is key to the success of all departments throughout any business. Leading a business in ‘normal’ times can be rather a challenging task, but in a period where normal seems so long ago is a most interesting and fascinating experience. Our marketing function has not been affected in its principal aim of informing customers and targets of our products, services and the ability to meet their exacting needs, however the way we apply our resources has been modified to meet the everchanging climate.

It’s about identifying new goals and the necessary steps to achieve them. Does that mean we are having to think outside the box? No. We are just being practical. Marketing is as much about networking as campaigns, for example, and that has not changed during the pandemic, it’s just a little more challenging. Apparently, the five marketing touch points have now increased to 32. Really? Yes, things have changed but the messages about quality and stability remain, and how we deliver them is still based on experience and knowledge – not disruptors.

We have observed many customers across the sector are all Zoomed out, have had enough of relentless bombardment of marketing emails, and cannot take another webinar! Life is simple, marketing should be simple, I believe it was Albert Einstein that said “…if you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Keep it simple, stay safe and let’s hope 2021 gets us some way back to a normal world.

Jody Vincent Sales Director, Emplas 2020 has accelerated preexisting trends. It hasn’t necessarily defined them. Digital has been part of our support and service offer for approaching a decade. Its value was evidenced during lockdown but they didn’t set our course of direction, we were already exploiting those tools. The development of our WindowCAD integration, is a direct example. It gives our customers access to an easy-to-use remoteselling tool and through a unique API [Application Programme Interface], also automatically converts that data into an order once signed-off by the customer, eliminating process. We’ve also developed a further interface so that quotations are automatically created, pulling in terms and conditions, relevant organisational memberships and service level agreements, modelled on those developed for T&K Home Improvements, Emplas retail business. Sales can also be completed through a legally binding e-signature. This aside, we did make a point of continuing to invest in marketing, maintaining an open dialogue with customers and prospects throughout lockdown. Given how difficult things appeared at that time, it was important to be visible and communicate what we were doing to support customers.

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Clare White Marketing Manager, Carl F Groupco

Ian Short Managing Director, Morley Glass & Glazing

Marketing has always played a key role at Carl F Groupco – we offer wide ranging support for our hardware distribution service and this is a detailed message conveyed through a mix of promotional tools.

Cutting marketing budgets in difficult times is the worst thing you can do. You must maintain your profile and visibility to keep reminding your customers and potential customers that you are willing and able to meet their demand. You don’t always know when someone might need your products or services. This means you need a consistent marketing presence so that you remain front of mind when the buying decisions are made.

The way we communicate with customers has undoubtedly changed over the past year to address social distancing restrictions and ongoing challenges presented by the pandemic. Our sales team is maintaining essential face to face customer meetings, ensuring that no one’s health is put at risk, and we are increasingly using video call technology. The pandemic has accelerated some of our projects with video and social media becoming even more important in our marketing plans – watch this space, we have some exciting ideas up our sleeves. We have always adopted a multichannel strategy and constantly review how we convey information – the corona crisis has pulled this into sharper focus. We are putting more emphasis on our digital profile but recognise not all of our customers are in the digital world and, for some, access is intermittent. More than ever, striking the right mix with marketing is essential.

We do not employ salespeople and we have no one knocking on doors or cold calling, so nothing has changed in terms of marketing through lockdown. We’ve always focused on building our brand awareness and backing up our high-quality products with high quality customer service. This way we attract the right kind of customer who will pay a fair price for an outstanding product and service. We’ve differentiated ourselves by giving our customers what they want, when they want it. Some of our competitors have not survived the last few months but if you’ve got a strong business that is customer focused and flexible then you really should invest in a robust marketing strategy.

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

Louise Sanderson UK Marketing Manager, Freefoam Building Products

Mike Bygrave Sales & Marketing Director, Roseview Windows

One of the main changes has been the huge increase in online activity. It’s permeated all areas of our marketing function. Whilst we haven’t fundamentally changed the way we work, we are putting more emphasis on all things digital.

Obviously 2020 has been an extraordinary year, loaded with uncertainty and torn-up forecasts. Dire predictions turned into record sales, and I don’t think anyone can truthfully say that they know what’s happening or what to expect next.

More of our traditional trade counter customers are looking to add or increase their online offering. We’ve been supplying product data and image libraries so they can market our products online.

I’ve been in this industry for a long time, and I’ve never seen a situation like this one. But my instincts tell me one thing – keep marketing! To stop or slow down – even when sales are so high – is folly.

We’ve seen a big increase in visitors to our websites. We advertise on social media to generate enquiries to our sites, but this year the same budget has given 56% more leads and a reduction in cost per lead.

To that end we’ve actually increased our marketing spend, taking on a new marketing manager and developing a range of new digital tools and websites to support our brand.

With many publications moving, temporarily, online and also producing regular e-newsletters we’ve found that providing short, high quality video content, to use alongside press releases, really brings our news to life. In summary the move to online decision making for building products has accelerated and the future is now essentially the present.

Has the situation changed the way we market ourselves and our sash windows? Not really. We naturally take a relatively soft, open approach to marketing, and I think that has suited the times. For us marketing is more about who we are and what we do, rather than laser-focused sales messaging. That’s who we are and it will take more than a global pandemic to change it!

Ben Brocklesby Director, Origin Our marketing activity reassures customers that their projects will be taken care of if they choose us. Much of our messaging talks about Origin’s reliability, consistency, and ability to deliver, giving the customer comfort that they will never miss an install day, and therefore a subsequent pay cheque. The pandemic hasn’t made us change any products or services, but it has made our communication with customers more crucial than ever. No matter if it is through social, email or direct with an account manager, we’re ensuring customers can get back to work safely, using our lead times and operational excellence to enhance their own credentials. The reason we are focussing on this tone in our messaging is because we are in the minority of companies who can actually deliver on time in full. In fact, we are busier than ever, picking up business as other suppliers have gone into their shells.

Angus Mackie Group Managing Director, Allumette Group Cutting marketing costs going into a perceived downturn may be understandable in financial terms but is often counterproductive to achieving long-term goals for the majority of businesses. In the case of Allumette, we do things a little differently, nothing is cyclical, and we look to provide consistency and stability as we steer our course through uncertain times. To be a leader in any sector needs a strong brand that is recognised for its quality and ability to exceed its customers’ expectations. We always adapt our marketing materials and channels to meet these needs and with a great team, tremendous quality of service, and a superb customer base, we look forward to building on our group of companies in readiness for an exciting post-pandemic world. Stay safe, have a great Christmas and prosperous 2021.

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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David Jennings CEO, UAP After our short shut down in April, we were able to bounce back and business has remained strong. Therefore, we decided to push our marketing strategies further, exploring new ways to connect with customers that we have never tried before. UAP’s first ever podcast, Hardware Intel: Ear Edition is debuting in November to complement the Hardware Intel magazine that also began as we were working from home, along with the reboot of our very popular Cars, Keys and Locks magazine. The production of the podcast has been done remotely with presenters in their own homes, which has forced us to get creative and resourceful in getting the project finished, and we’re very excited for our customers to hear it. Additionally, the launch of our new customer Portal was done while working from home, accompanied by a big marketing campaign to boost sales. We feel that we are being more creative and broadminded with our marketing than ever before as we’ve put more emphasis into digital means to engage our customers.

Nick Bailey Business Development Manager, Business Micros The sales and marketing team at Business Micros have spent much of this year preparing for the launch of our brandnew TOUCH software platform, which goes live this month when installers can start to download their free trial of our TOUCH Vendor product. Although it’s been several years in development, the TOUCH platform could almost have been designed specifically for the times we now find ourselves in. TOUCH Vendor helps installers capture leads online, sell virtually to homeowners, generate quotes, and process and place orders direct from their tablet or laptop. We’re obviously not alone in launching an online sales generation tool in the midst of a Pandemic. However, we’re so confident in the strength of the end to end TOUCH platform that encouraging installers to go online and compare ours with the rest was always at the heart of our marketing strategy. We’ve supplemented social media and online marketing with some PR and advertising to drive traffic to the new TOUCH website and, as we roll out the rest of the TOUCH products throughout next year, we’ll certainly be continuing with that approach.

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

Sioned Roberts Marketing Director, AluK Like most of the industry, we recognised at the start of the crisis that we had to switch to digital marketing as much as possible, and it has become almost our default option since then. However, unlike most of the industry, we didn’t furlough any of our marketing team, so we had the resources available to implement plans quickly and effectively to benefit AluK and our customers. We created a marketing academy website for customers within just a few weeks of lockdown, which was packed with tools and advice to help them with their marketing once they could start manufacturing again. The response was amazing, with almost half our customers registering and hundreds of views and downloads. We’ve also supported customers in both the retail and commercial sectors, with a social media campaign aimed at raising our profile with homeowners looking to improve their homes postlockdown and launched a new digital learning platform for specifiers with blogs, articles and CPDs. Digital sales presentations can’t really replace the face to face contact which this industry thrives on, but digital marketing tools have undoubtedly proved their value.

Mark Enderby Marketing Manager, MACO Door & Window Hardware (UK) Ltd 2020 saw a rapid progression to home working across the industry and digital platforms be adopted more than ever from fabricators to installers. This meant our increasing online strategy really came into effect, accelerating our aims, ensuring we delivered content across all platforms that our partners needed and wanted. We added a new marketing communication channel, the MACO podcast – #MACOnnect, the UK’s first dedicated fenestration podcast. #MACOnnect was born for FiT SHOW 2019 to encourage the connecting of people, now in a time that it’s harder to connect physically, a podcast named after this campaign seemed fitting. The premise for this podcast is to make it as much about the industry as possible and already we have had a good mix of MACO and industry guests including Paul Stevens from Network Veka, Lyn Poole from Secured by Design and Andrew Scott CEO of the group that has created the Glazing Summit. This is certainly here to stay and we have lots of exciting guests and topics planned for the future.

Stuart Dantzic Managing Director, Caribbean Blinds The unforeseen events of 2020 have proven that an omni-channel marketing approach is now more important than ever. Throughout the global pandemic, print has somewhat been revived. More consumers are opting to have their lifestyle magazines delivered in order to flick through physical pages rather than solely scroll on a screen. For this reason, advertising across a select number of both print and online channels has been crucial in building brand recognition, loyalty, trust and integrity for Caribbean Blinds. After the government-imposed travel ban was announced, our usual ‘Enhance your Lifestyle’ message changed overnight as we launched our new ‘Holiday at Home’ campaign, designed to help customers create their very own “slice of paradise” in their garden – no matter the unpredictable British weather. Clear, concise messaging regarding Caribbean Blinds’ short lead times, special offers and our ‘Made in Britain’ status through strong call to actions was key, as well as being able to effectively convey the benefits of our unique and adaptable products. Finally, ongoing communication via e-shot following enquiry was also instrumental in showcasing Caribbean Blinds as an informative, reliable and secure company.

Dan Sullivan MD, DOORCO Ltd Marketing & PR is an integral part of the DOORCO brand and supporting our customers with their own marketing is obviously part of that mix. We’ve always had great assets - brochure, website, bespoke online door designer and ordering system – to name a few. At the start of 2020, we were set to do a full overhaul. Then came lockdown. Whilst uncertainty ruled, we had to temporarily put our plans on hold. Marketing wasn’t off the agenda – quite the opposite: it became one of our key focuses. Reaching out directly to the consumer has never been DOORCO’s own strategy – supporting customers to do so has always been our lead, but we changed tact. Social media was key; we increased our presence on Instagram, moved towards more ‘lifestyle’ than ‘trade’ across all our channels and worked on getting leads for our customers - with great success. This type of marketing is the new normal for DOORCO. We’re progressing with our wider plans again and you will start to see the results very soon….

VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY

Michelle Wright Group Marketing Manager, The Glazerite UK Group Ltd If there’s one word to sum up 2020, it’s unprecedented. Yet such extraordinary circumstances only serve to remind us that marketing plans should be flexible and easy to adapt in response to what is happening in the market, and society in general. If it wasn’t already, digital marketing should be central to every marketing strategy - it’s an integral channel that can be used to visually showcase your competence and abilities as an installer. Having a dynamic website, loaded with timely, relevant information and imagery, and active social media channels gives customers confidence in your company. Having a presence online or on social media is also an easy way for your customers to recommend you to others at the click of a button. At Glazerite, we’ve made some great strides this year with the development of digital brochures. This approach will continue into 2021, and we’ve got some exciting digital marketing plans ahead that will further support our installers’ interface with homeowners.

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

Rob McGlennon Deceuninck, MD

Martin Hitchin CEO, REHAU UK

Marketing is becoming increasingly short term, and less effective when it is. Too many companies expect short burst campaigns to generate leads and new business, but lasting returns depend on sustained marketing.

When lockdown began, we reviewed our 2020 marketing plans. We believed it crucial to maintain open, transparent communications to support customers and peers, and that we shouldn’t reduce activity despite the disruption.

Success in business and marketing is all about people, and that means relationships. The only worthwhile relationships are long-term, built on mutually beneficial partnerships where both companies share the same desire and ambition to grow. In the past four years Deceuninck took on 48 customers who switched because their suppliers’ short-term horizons prevented them growing. Thanks to our support, product range and service, they’re back on track. Last year, our customers grew 20% on average. This year, Deceuninck’s top 20 customers are currently 20%-30% ahead of the same months last year. Like everyone, we’ve had to adapt to social distancing, which has accelerated our use of digital channels like our fully interactive, virtual showroom so fabricators and installers can sell without face-toface meetings. But our principles and strategy are unchanged: successful partnerships underpin successful business.

One initial challenge was overhauling our 2020 events programme. For example, Fensterbau is crucial to both REHAU and the fenestration industry’s calendar. When the in-person event was cancelled, we developed a virtual event platform in conjunction with our German team and saw strong attendance levels. Furthermore, we developed online CPD courses for window solutions and curtain walling. Moving this training online let us keep in touch with window professionals, and provide opportunities to expand their skillsets. Additionally, we’ve always employed digital-first marketing strategies, with metrics and insights serving helpful, informative and timely content. We believe this proactive marketing strategy was key to an extraordinary upsurge in demand when our factory reopened, with the plant running at 130% of pre-lockdown levels. Consequently, we are now accelerating plans to market to end-users and help REHAU installers capitalise on the buoyant home improvement market.

Sue Davenport Group Marketing Director, Liniar

Jamie Munday Sales Director, Avantek Machinery

The industry has had to get to grips with ‘going digital’ this year, all at a pace that would otherwise have seemed unthinkable – and those with an innovative, flexible outlook are faring well.

Window fabrication machinery sales have always been concluded face to face in the past. Despite the lack of contact this year, however, Avantek has had its most successful year to date… and it’s not over yet!

Liniar’s flexible approach means finding solutions – and we’re fortunate our marketing was already geared towards digital. We’ve used resources we already had and created more where required, but never stopped marketing. Digital is attractive because of the measurable nature of campaigns; we’re seeing more web traffic and enquiries than ever before, which correlates nicely with increased sales. We’ve kept in contact with customers throughout the pandemic through regular emails and the feedback has been phenomenal… customers appreciate our honest approach and communication. LiniarConnect, our online portal which we launched in January, has been another digital win. It’s given us and our customers greater visibility of orders, allowing the team to focus on delivering a more personal touch – and the system continues to develop. Whilst there is no substitute for face-to-face meetings, this year has proved that business can still be done via digital channels.

Prior to the 2019 FIT Show, we began exploring the use of video as a sales tool, specifically for demonstrating the Supercut’s abilities. At the same time, we launched our new website, showcasing the machines we offer with easyto-download PDF product data sheets. Having digital assets readily available has helped the sales process to fly during 2020. During lockdown, many fabricators began thinking about the social distancing measures they’d need in place to re-open, and our videos have given them a better understanding of each machine’s output and capabilities. Using video conferencing technology, we were able to help address and review factory layouts, planning to optimise production and supplying machinery from stock with installation happening within a few short weeks – once restrictions allowed. We’ll definitely continue developing our digital channels. We’ve found it’s a combination of factors that helps customers make purchasing decisions.

Roger Hartshorn Garnalex CEO We designed Sheerline to transform the aluminium market. But Covid-19 changed everything. At a stroke, we couldn’t use our dedicated Sheerline training centre to demonstrate Sheerline, or train customers in fabrication and installation. Instead, we launched a new website and a comprehensive suite of practical, easy to follow videos to educate fabricators and installers about Sheerline and train them remotely. We also produced a superb set of technical guides to help our fieldbased Technical Sales Team roll out Covid-safe training. Training is done anywhere - at customers’ premises, on site or at home – when it suits them. So, they have everything they need to learn about Sheerline, without visiting the factory or training centre. And we did that without skipping a beat, so Sheerline Classic launched on time, and Sheerline Prestige (its big brother system) launches next month. We could have postponed the launch of Sheerline Classic, but who knows when ‘normal’ will resume? Besides, the industry had waited long enough for a modern aluminium window system, and we were keen to unleash our big-name launch partner fabricators.

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

Bethaney Larkman Marketing Manager, Distinction Doors

Chris Globe Director, Inside The Box Marketing

We have embraced the marketing opportunities created by the pandemic and have increased activity in areas influenced by real-time data and consumer and industry research. This has enabled effective PR, both on and offline customer and industry communication, and proactive decision making based on the here and now. We have also seen extraordinary and sustained growth and engagement online.

I think as marketing people we all recognise that nothing stays the same for too long.

This activity has been complemented by a rise in hard-copy brochure requests, in fact we have sold almost 10,000 in just three weeks. While there has been a surge in online activity, our experience shows there is still demand for literature – whether it’s print or digital, and we are currently working on multiple brochures, alongside bespoke customer requests. Going forward, we have set a flexible marketing strategy for the next 1218 months focussing on customer integration and new data.

In the trade sector the evolution of marketing has not been as dramatic as in the retail sector, it is slower to move and less diverse tactically. But Covid-19 has changed all that; it has been a wake up call on an epic scale and what it will do is give those at the top of their game the chance to show what they can do. We are lucky to work in an industry where are marketing people and our clients are innovative and entrepreneurial by nature. We are already seeing our clients bring out new absolutely relevant products to meet the changing ways of working – remote selling tools for installers selling to home-owners; online training and learning portals, and brand new business support tools to help those we work with prosper. If we can remain flexible and light on our feet marketing will play a significant role in overcoming the challenges ahead.

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

Nick Dutton CEO, Brisant Secure If homeowners knew what you know, selling doors would be simple. But one of the main challenges in a Covid-world is how do you market your doors and communicate successfully via a screen? To optimise the use of different channels we created a powerful App, so your doors are half-sold by the time you ‘meet’. It’s easy, slick, and professional. How does it work? When a homeowner asks for information or quote you enter the customer’s name, email address and post code. Then click to send your email. Your ‘warm up’ email is personalised to your brand, your customer and your own door. It’s not just slick. It’s a powerful, professional presentation with videos and graphics that works over a screen or table. It’s got everything to turn interest into a warm lead, and a warm lead into an order. Homeowners can even order additional keys, or extra Ultion locks, direct from your personalised site. It’s easy and quick to set up, and free to use. Selling doors was never this simple.

Asa McGillian Managing Director, Apeer When the first lockdown closed down the UK and Ireland we had completed a series of stylish, ‘lifestyle’ videos aimed directly at homeowners and we decided to carry on with these regardless, to run them even with the uncertainty of what we were all going into. This turned out to be one of the best marketing decisions we have ever made. People were sitting at home and pondering every inch of their houses and were bursting to put their ideas into action, to have their ideas brought to life. Our videos reached our prime audience in huge numbers, delivered through digital channels such as YouTube and Facebook. When lockdown was eased, we were able to deliver hundreds of live leads to our distributors. This allowed us to test run our new strategy of reaching homeowners through sophisticated imagery, using the style and content they might expect from other ‘lifestyle’ choices and especially, home décor and furnishings, rather than just the drivers for home improvements. It works, very well indeed.

Rhonda Ridge Managing Director, Ab Initio Systems Ltd – AdminBase From the middle of 2019 we began the biggest marketing campaign in our company’s history, to launch a range of mobile apps for sales, survey, fitting and remedial functions, that connect these key people from site to their head office AdminBase systems whilst greatly increasing their efficiency on site. We then added a full-function, web-based version of AdminBase, which allows full use of the system from anywhere there is an Internet connection. And then Covid-19 hit. And although our new developments were certainly not written with a pandemic in mind, they provide a perfect solution to allow safe working for installer personnel and their homeowner customers, as well as full control for administrators and managers whilst working from home. Our marketing is relatively conventional though using all available channels. But, it has been a highly effective exercise in simply reaching an audience with a product for which there was a very clear need. Proof of the effectiveness of our marketing has been repeated record monthly sales.

Sandra Berg Marketing Manager, Quickslide Ltd Of course we kept a very close eye on spend during the National Lockdown, but as production had to be temporarily turned off, the importance of building lasting relationships with our Trade Partners increased. Staying in touch was vital! During the months of lockdown, consumers were forced to embrace the digital world in just a few weeks. That also meant that some of our digital projects went from being long-term to urgent. For many years now, much of our marketing output has been digital and as social distancing and protective measures remain the norm we will continue down this route. We’ve also introduced reduced-contact ways of accessing our products including: Virtual showroom tours by video; An online ‘find an installer’ function, which generates high quality leads for our Trade Partners; Online product designers; Increased spend on SEO and consumer research; The use of social media to engage with and sustain the trust of our customers by sharing frequent business updates. It remains to be seen if we will ever revert to more traditional marketing tools.

VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY

CHARITY NEWS

HELP SPREAD A LITTLE HOPE THIS CHRISTMAS WITH GM FUNDRAISING

Gio Laporta Inventor and Innovator, Smart Ready®

Sarah Gyde Marketing Director, Mila

Has our marketing approach changed? Clearly, the answer is yes. The focus has become more about survival, and I think I can speak for the majority when I say this. Inevitably, the last eight months or so has had its impact and seen us lower our marketing’s priority status somewhat. That’s not to say that marketing isn’t important for us – we’ve just committed to our biggest spent ever on two stands at FIT Show 2021, It’s just that we’ve had to spend even more strategically and creatively than ever.

This year has probably speeded up changes which were already happening in our marketing. With an in-house team with loads of digital expertise, we’ve very much been able to take a ‘digital first’ approach in response to the restrictions. We’ve continued to develop the Mila website so that it really does have everything our customers could need in terms of product and technical information, and we’ve created digital toolkits for customers packed with useful content and downloadable images.

Our marketing strategy has always been to use varied channels. Video messaging is one of the most impactful methods of connecting with our customers and as time goes on, Smart Ready® will be using video messaging as its primary method of communicating the brand and service. Videos, both sleek and saw, in my opinions, will become the norm over the next three or four years. Thinking outside the box is the only way to get significant results. If you aren’t already there, making decisions that are pushing boundaries in order to solve problems, then you’re in trouble from the starting blocks. The question should really be, “Why weren’t you been thinking outside the box in first place?”.

We’re already seeing the benefits in terms of increased hits on the websites and much higher levels of digital engagement, and it’s certainly justified the huge amount of work we’ve put in. However, before we all switch wholesale to digital, I think we need to be aware that, it’s not the complete answer. Lots of customers still want physical display boards and printed literature to help them win business, just as they sometimes want a visit from a salesperson rather than a video chat, and we’ll go on providing those for as long as they need them.

Steve Haines Director, Stuga At Stuga 2020 will go down in our history book for sure. We hit lockdown with a full order book out to the end of 2020 and since returning we have filled our order book until nearly the end of 2021 and most of our orders are for the most expensive machine which is our flagship ZX5. We have kept a fairly low profile on the marketing front, not to save money, but because enquiries are booming and most of them from recommendations created by our loyal customers. We utilise video conferencing when appropriate but visit customers face to face when necessary. To facilitate this we are fortunate enough to have a strong and extensive team of geographically based service technicians to talk to customers regarding the technical side of enquiries. Being a genuine British machinery manufacturer building our machines entirely here in Norfolk seems to appeal to many fabricators. A small amount of corporate advertising in the background is maintained to keep a direct link with the market place in general.

GM Fundraising is bringing some muchneeded Christmas cheer to the industry with the launch of its popular 2020 Christmas card. After such a tumultuous year, the beautifully designed Christmas card allows the industry to spread a little hope to customers, suppliers and friends as well as raising some much-needed money for Hope House Children’s Hospices. Gary Morton, founder of GM Fundraising, explains: “We know the festive season will soon be upon us and the children at Hope House have been busy creating our annual Christmas card. Every year we commission a beautifully designed Christmas card and this year’s card has been a collaborative effort from Oliver and the other children at Hope House, which is very special.” Since it was established in 1995, GM Fundraising has raised almost £2 million for Hope House Children’s Hospices, but 2020 has been a challenging year for the charity. Gary said: “Never before has the support been so vital to Hope House with all our charity and fundraising events having to be postponed or cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Over 95% of Hope House’s annual operating costs are met through charitable donations and they have been faced with additional challenges due to the pandemic. All face-toface nursing now requires the use of full PPE, and the average cost per day has risen to £78.00 per child. We are hoping that the sales of the Christmas cards will help support them at this time.” The Christmas cards are available in quantities over 50, and are overprinted with your company logo and personal message. The cards cost £1.20 each, plus postage and packaging and can be ordered direct by emailing Alan Sadler at alan@gmfundraising.co.uk or by visiting www.gmfundraising.co.uk. Gary concludes: “Every penny raised in the sale of the Christmas cards goes directly to Hope House. We are grateful for the support from the industry and we hope the sales of this year’s Christmas cards helps spread a little hope and festive cheer at this time.”

ODL EUROPE DONATES $1,000 TO GM FUNDRAISING To help mark its 75th anniversary year, ODL Europe has donated $1,000 to GM Fundraising to support Hope House Children’s Hospices. Nathan Barr, Managing Director of ODL Europe, said: “We are delighted to make this donation to GM Fundraising to mark our 75th anniversary. Hope House Children’s Hospices is such an important cause because no one should have to face the death of a child on their own.” Gary Morton, founder of GM Fundraising said: “We’re very grateful to ODL Europe for this donation. We’d like to thank the team for their generosity and, of course, congratulate them on their 75th anniversary milestone.” The donation to GM Fundraising was part of a global initiative by ODL to make $1,000 donations to numerous charities to mark their 75th anniversary year. As a result, over 75 charities worldwide have now benefited from the company’s donations. Nathan said: “The 75th anniversary is a significant milestone for our parent company ODL but due to the pandemic, it isn’t the anniversary year the team had planned. It was always our intention to mark the occasion by helping various charities, and we’re delighted to help support Hope House Children’s Hospices at this time.” Hope House Children’s Hospices provides specialist nursing care and support to children with life limiting conditions. They help their parents and families too, both throughout the lifetime of a child and often well beyond. Since it was established in 1995, GM Fundraising has raised nearly £2 million for Hope House Children’s Hospices. Over 95% of Hope House’s £6.5 million annual operating costs are met through charitable donations and GM Fundraising is its largest single donor. GM Fundraising is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and had hoped to raise over £200,000 for the charity, but the majority of its challenges and events had to be postponed due to pandemic. Gary concludes: “Like all charities, Hope House has been hard hit by the pandemic. But donations such as ODL Europe’s remind us that companies still want to help people less fortunate than themselves and we thank them for their generous contribution.” Tel: 0845 302 1966 www.gmfundraising.co.uk

All Christmas card orders need to be received by Alan no later than Monday 30th November, 2020.

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

BMBI

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

BUILDERS MERCHANT BUILDING INDEX

THE RECOVERY CONTINUES – BUT MORE SLOWLY IN AUGUST YEAR-ON-YEAR Total Builders Merchants value sales were 3.9% lower in August than in August 2019, with one less trading day this year. Three categories did better, with Landscaping (+16.3%) the top performer. Workwear & Safetywear (+1.8%) was the only other category to exceed last year, while Timber & Joinery Products sold 2.0% less. The remaining nine categories were weaker. These included largest category Heavy Building Materials (-5.8%), Decorating (-10.8%) and Plumbing Heating & Electrical (-13.7%). Average sales a day, which takes trading day differences into account, were 0.9% up on August 2019

MONTH-ON-MONTH Total Merchants August sales were 14.2% lower than in July, which had three more trading days. All categories sold less. Kitchens & Bathrooms (-4.3%) did best, followed by Plumbing Heating & Electrical (-7.6%). Heavy Building Materials (-13.5%) performed a little better than merchants generally. The two weakest categories were Workwear & Safetywear (-25.3%) and Landscaping (-24.5%). Average sales a day were 1.3% lower in August than July.

OTHER PERIODS Sales in the last three months (June to August) were down 1.0% overall compared with the same three months in 2019, with one more trading day this year. Season-category Landscaping (+30.9%) was strongest. Workwear & Safetywear (+7.9%) and Timber & Joinery Products (+0.4%) were the only other categories that sold more. The nine selling less

included Plumbing Heating & Electrical (-17.3%), Kitchens & Bathrooms (-14.4%) and Tools (-10.4%). Average sales a day across the three months were 2.5% lower than last year. Sales were up 73.8% in the last three months compared with the previous three months (March to May), when many merchants had closed branches as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown. Six categories did better, led by Tools (+124.1%). Kitchens & Bathrooms sold 91.0% more and Timber & Joinery Products was up 82.5%. With two more trading days in June to August, average sales a day were 63.1% higher. In the first eight months of 2020, total sales were down 18.4% compared with January to August 2019. Workwear & Safetywear (+1.3%) was the only category that sold more. Tools (-29.4%), Kitchens & Bathrooms (-26.0%) and Plumbing Heating &

Total sales

INDEX August’s BMBI index was 113.3. Landscaping (157.2) was strongest, followed by Timber & Joinery Products (120.6). For the full report, including comments from the BMBI’s panel of leading industry Experts, please visit www.bmbi.co.uk.

"Sales were up 73.8% in the last three months compared with the previous three months (March to May), when many merchants had closed branches as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown."

Total Builders Merchants Monthly Sales Index - Year-on-Year 20%

Electrical (-25.8%) were weakest and still have much ground to make up in recovering sales lost during the Covid-19 lockdown period.

Average sales a day

Lines overlap where the numbers of trading days in consecutive months are equal to the Index

10% 0% -10% -20% -30%

GfK’s Builders Merchant Panel GfK’s Merchant Panel includes national, multi-regional and regional merchants such as Buildbase, Jewson, Travis Perkins, EH Smith, Gibbs & Dandy, MKM, and Bradfords. GfK’s Builders’ Merchant Point of Sale Tracking Data represents more than 80% of the value of the builders’ merchant market. GfK insights can trace product group performance and track relevant features. GfK can also produce robust like-for-like market comparability, tailored to the requirements of an individual business. The Builders Merchant Building Index Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) appears every month, in print and online. A full quarterly report is published every three months. The BMBI is a brand of the Builders Merchant Federation. Launched and produced by MRA Marketing, it uses sales-out data from GfK’s Builders Merchant Panel. BMBI includes a panel of leading industry Experts, who speak exclusively for their markets.

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www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

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INDUSTRY AWARDS

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

HAFFNER MURAT ACHIEVES FINALIST STATUS Machinery experts, Haffner Murat, has been confirmed as a finalist at this year’s National Fenestration Awards in the category of Machinery Company 2020. Dave Thomas, Managing Director of Haffner Murat, said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for this award and would like to thank everyone who nominated us. Our teams across the UK and Europe are dedicated to providing the very best in machine technology. This nomination acknowledges their hard work and the support of our customers and suppliers.” The National Fenestration Awards are the industry’s fastestgrowing, independent awards event which was launched in 2013. Now in its eighth year, the event has grown in popularity and rewards the best in the sector and is voted by participation of the industry. Since 1990 Haffner has been manufacturing and supplying an extensive range of industry-leading PVC-U and aluminium fabrication machinery. The company has continued to grow year-on-year and recently commissioned a new 37,000 sqm purpose-built factory in Istanbul,

Turkey in addition to an ambitious head office expansion programme which has seen the company’s Staffordshire headquarters double in size too. Both the Staffordshire expansion and new Istanbul production facility are a testament to Haffner Murat’s continued success. Haffner Murat is the sole UK agent of Haffner and Murat Machinery, which designs innovative and high-quality engineered products at some of the most competitive industry prices. It is also the agents for FOM and Italmac aluminium fabrication machinery, which both have international reputations for quality machinery that combines the latest technology with skilled engineering protocols. Dave concluded: “2020 is the 30th anniversary of Haffner in the industry. Needless to say, the anniversary hasn’t been quite what we planned but to win Machinery Company of the Year would mean so very much to everyone and help celebrate this important milestone year too.”

The voting closes on 24th November and winners will be announced at the FenEx Doors, Windows and Hardware exhibition which starts on Friday 27th November, 2020. To vote for your winner, visit https://www.fenestrationawards.co.uk/nfa2020/ Tel: 01785 222421 – www.haffnermurat.com

FINALIST STATUS FOR FENTRADE ALUMINIUM Trade fabricator, Fentrade Limited has been confirmed as a finalist at this year’s National Fenestration Awards in the category of Fabricator/Manufacturer 2020. Having picked up the NFA award for New Company of the Year 2019, Director of Fentrade, Chris Reeks, is hoping to secure a second win. Chris said: “Winning the 2019 New Company of the Year was a huge achievement for Fentrade and we picked up an amazing 95% of the votes too, which was fantastic. To be nominated for a secondyear in succession is incredible and rewards the hard work and dedication of the entire Fentrade team.” Fentrade was set up in 2018 with an objective to become the aluminium trade supplier of choice for installers, trade

counters and contractors throughout West Wales, South East and South West of England and the Midlands. The Newport-based fabricator manufactures a range of high-quality aluminium windows, doors, bi-fold doors, inline sliding doors, rooflights, commercial and GFT products as well as curtain walling from prestigious brand partners such as AluK and Kestrel Aluminium. The products are supported with a service that’s genuinely customer-focused and delivers quality at every stage of the operation. Being shortlisted at the National Fenestration Awards comes hot on the heels of finalist status in the Wales Start-up Awards 2020 too. Chris added: “Achieving finalist status for a business award is always a huge accolade and means a lot to everyone

at Fentrade. I would like to personally thank all our customers and supply-partners who took the time to nominate us and I wish all the finalists the best of luck.” The National Fenestration Awards was launched in 2013 and has become the industry’s fastest growing, independent awards event. The all-inclusive fenestration event rewards the best in the sector and is voted by the involvement of the industry. The voting closes on 24th November and winners will be announced during the FenEx Doors, Windows and Hardware exhibition which starts on Friday 27th November, 2020. For more information and to vote for your winner, visit https://www.fenestrationawards.co.uk/nfa2020/

MERCURY ACHIEVES FINALIST STATUS AT NFA’S Specialist fabricator, Mercury Glazing Supplies, has been named a finalist in the category of Vertical Sliding Window Company at the National Fenestration Awards, 2020. Steve Cross, Director at Mercury Glazing said: “We are delighted to have been nominated for this award and would like to thank everyone who has voted for us. It means so much to everyone at Mercury.” Since 2002, Gloucester-based Mercury has been manufacturing a range of quality vertical sliders and the business has grown to become one of the UK’s largest specialist VS fabricators. The 50-strong team manufactures a range of standard and mechanically jointed vertical sliding windows for trade, retail, new build and commercial projects. The authenticity of their products has resulted in their windows being fitted in some prestigious and sympathetic heritigatge refurbishment projects too. Steve said: “While 2020 has not been without its challenges, we are well ahead of our growth strategy and have commissioned a second new factory, made

a considerable six-figure investment in additional automation machinery to allow us to scale up quickly and have attracted various high-profile appointments too. To win this award would mean so much to everyone at Mercury at this time.” Now in its eighth year, the National Fenestration Awards have become a popular event in the industry’s calendar. The voting closes on 24th November and winners will be announced at the new FenEx Doors, Windows and Hardware exhibition which starts on Friday 27th November, 2020. Steve concludes: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted and would like to wish all finalists the best of luck.” For more information, visit https://www.fenestrationawards.co.uk/nfa2020/ Tel: 01452 383 344 www.mercuryglazing.co.uk

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

INDUSTRY AWARDS

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ODL EUROPE ANNOUNCED AS FINALISTS IN TWO NFA 2020 CATEGORIES ODL Europe has been named as finalists in two categories at the National Fenestration Awards 2020. The Bootle-based business, has been nominated for the 2020 Composite Door Manufacturer and the Integral Blinds Company. Nathan Barr, Managing Director of ODL Europe, said: “Everyone at ODL Europe is delighted to have been shortlisted for these two awards. The nominations help celebrate the continued hard work and effort by our teams and the support of our voting customers and supply partners. We are thrilled.” The voting closes on 24th November and winners will be announced during the course of the FenEx Doors, Windows and Hardware exhibition which starts on Friday 27th November, 2020. Nathan said: “After such a challenging year for the industry following the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s great to celebrate some positive news. The finalist nominations are uplifting for all our teams who have worked so incredibly hard during this time, supporting our growing customer base. I would personally like to thank everyone who nominated us and for everyone who has taken the time to vote for us too. It is appreciated.” ODL Europe offers a comprehensive product portfolio that adds value to their customers’ businesses. Products include composite doors, in-house door prepping, glazing cassettes, decorative glass and integral blinds. They are part of the global ODL corporate business whose roots stretch back over 75 years and are committed to product and service excellence. Nathan concludes: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted and would like to wish all finalists the best of luck.” For more information, visit https://www.fenestrationawards.co.uk/nfa2020/ Tel: 0151 933 0299 – www.odl.com/europe.htm

FINALIST STATUS FOR

LEKA SYSTEMS

Conservatory roof innovators, Leka Systems, has been confirmed as a finalist at this year’s National Fenestration Awards in the category of Conservatory Roof Manufacturer. Rhys Hoddinott, Director of Leka Systems, said: “The Leka team are delighted to have been shortlisted for this award. This nomination celebrates the dedication and innovation behind our roofing systems and the fact the industry has nominated us, makes it very special.” The National Fenestration Awards was launched in 2013 and has become the industry’s fastest growing, independent awards event. The all-inclusive fenestration event rewards the very best in the sector and is voted by the participation of the industry. Leka Systems have been capturing headlines since their conservatory roofs were introduced to the market five years ago. All products have been engineered through exacting innovative methods, highly technical design protocols and continued product development to create superior conservatory roof solutions that add value to fabricators and installers portfolios. The range of Leka roof solutions covers all conservatory roof options and include the patented lightweight Leka Warm roof which is perfect for retrofitting or new build conservatories, the Leka Orangery system and the Leka Xi modular building solution. They have recently introduced Roof Glass Units, which delivers a skylight solution and is another ideal upsell proposition for fabricators and installers. Rhys concluded: “Our focus has always been to deliver the best conservatory roof solutions that help drive the market. To win the NFA award for Conservatory Roof Manufacturer would be a fantastic accolade and recognition for the work and design excellence of the talented Leka team. The voting closes on 24th November and winners will be announced during the FenEx Doors, Windows and Hardware exhibition which starts on Friday 27th November, 2020. For more information and to vote for your winner, visit https://www.fenestrationawards.co.uk/nfa2020/ Tel: 0800 773 4040 – www.lekasystems.co.uk

THREE NFA NOMINATIONS FOR MORLEY GLASS & GLAZING Having won seven National Fenestration Awards over the past three years (including three last year pictured), Morley Glass & Glazing is looking to continue its success in 2020. The integral blinds manufacturer has been nominated in three categories: IGU Manufacturer, Integral Blinds Company and Best Use of Video. The open platform NFAs are unique to the industry as winners are decided completely by people working in the industry, casting their votes for the companies they believe most deserve to win an award.

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

Ian Short, managing director at Morley Glass & Glazing comments: “2020 has been a tough year for many people and the awards are a great way to celebrate the success stories within the industry. Integral blinds are as popular as ever and we’re doing our utmost to continue to raise standards in the industry, offer high quality products, backed by excellent customer service and technical support. “We’re particularly pleased to be nominated in the Best Use of Video category as we’ve invested in a wide range of marketing support materials for our customers

including videos that showcase how the integral blinds are manufactured, as well as how stylish, practical and impressive they look in customers’ homes and workplaces. Voting for the 2020 NFAs is now open – we hope that everyone finds a few minutes to cast their votes across the full range of categories.” The voting process for the 2020 National Fenestration Awards closes on Tuesday, 24th November. To cast your vote visit www.fenestrationawards.co.uk/nfa2020/. Find out more about Morley Glass & Glazing at www.morleyglass.co.uk.

CAREERS & QUALIFICATIONS IN FENESTRATION

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SPONSORED BY GQA AND BUILDING OUR SKILLS GQA Qualifications is the only issuer of CSCS cards for the Glass and Fenestration industries. Building Our Skills is a strategic campaign designed to help bridge the growing skills gap in the Fenestration Industry

NEW APPOINTMENTS

APPRENTICESHIPS

JODY VINCENT STEPS INTO NEW ROLE AS SALES DIRECTOR Jody Vincent has been appointed as Sales Director, Emplas, recognising the significant contribution he has made to the trade specialists’ growth. Its’ former National Sales Manager, Jody joined Emplas in 2010 in a business development role, having previously put time in on the ‘factory floor’ at trade fabricator, Omega in Peterborough. An established face within the Emplas team since, he has worked with its customers throughout the UK for the last decade, stepping in his new role to head up the Emplas sales team at the end of September. Jody said: “Things have changed so much in

the last 10-years – and particularly in the last eight-months - in Emplas and in fabrication and the window industry in general. As a business we’ve met those challenges and adapted to change head-on but without losing sight of who we are as a business and the values on which we were founded by Kevin [Johnson, Chairman, Emplas], more than 40 years ago. “The past few months have demonstrated the importance of that. Relationships with suppliers, as well as the critical partnerships we have with our customers, have been invaluable. With more change likely in the months ahead, that’s more important

NEW RESEARCH CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE APPRENTICESHIP SYSTEM TO CREATE A BETTER SKILLED WORKFORCE FOR VITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS High skill, high tech construction apprenticeships are needed to boost the skills needed in infrastructure projects to drive the UK’s economic recovery.

than ever as we head into 2021.” Ryan Johnson, Managing Director, Emplas said: “Jody has been a major asset to Emplas and those customers he has worked with and it’s great to see him step into our senior leadership team. “He’s come from the factory floor, has masses of sales experience but at the same time, is incredibly grounded.” For more information on Emplas visit www.emplas.co.uk, email info@emplas.co.uk or call 01933 674880.

This is what is being called for by the authors of a new research report, released today, entitled ‘Build back better: Improving the apprenticeship system to better support infrastructure’. The report, written on behalf of the Construction Industry Council (CIC), University College of Estate Management (UCEM) and the Technical Apprenticeship Consortium (TAC), with data used from a CIC survey of employers, recommends that Government works with CIC, employers and the professional bodies to: • recognise the value of technical and higher-level apprenticeships leading to professional registration; • increase the flexibility of the apprenticeship levy; • join up and improve the apprenticeship systems across the UK; • celebrate and promote apprenticeships.

Aled Williams, who co-authored the report and is CIC Champion on Higher Education and UCEM’s Director of Research, Innovation and Partnerships, commented: “The construction industry is integral to the UK’s financial health and can provide the catalyst for an economic recovery accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Apprenticeships are hugely important for employers to train workforces with the appropriate skill set to achieve the ambitious infrastructure projects projected across the nation, however, both businesses and education providers need to have more input in how these are run. The research shows that there is a desire throughout the construction industry to get apprenticeships right and, if Government listens and acts upon the recommendations outlined, there could be huge benefits for the UK.” CIC Chief Executive, Graham Watts OBE, added: “CIC would like to thank UCEM and everyone else involved for their time and expertise in pulling together this crucial report.” To read the full report, visit https://bit.ly/3mxgy0R

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

NEW APPOINTMENTS

EARL TATE JOINS VBH

PURPLEX INVESTS IN NEW PEOPLE TO SUPPORT CLIENTS DURING UNCERTAIN TIMES

Leading hardware company VBH has recently appointed Earl Tate to the position of Area Sales Manager for South East England. Earl joins the company after 12 years at another well known hardware supplier and is well respected within the hardware fraternity. VBH Regional Sales Manager for the South, Dan Powell, comments “I have known Earl for a number of years and I admire his work ethic. He builds solid relationships with customers and earns their trust. This is the VBH way so he is a perfect fit with us. “He’s excited to get to grips with the larger selection of products that our greenteQ range offers. We’re delighted to have him on the VBH team.”

Earl will cover the South East region from Norfolk in the East through London to Hampshire in the West, so will be familiar to many of his new VBH customers. Fabricators in the South East and beyond can find out more about VBH’s products and services at www.vbhgb.com or by following @vbhgb or @vbhgreenteQ on Twitter.

NEW APPOINTMENTS

VEKA PLC ANNOUNCES NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR Following the announcement that Dave Jones, VEKA plc Managing Director will be stepping down, we can now announce that Neil Evans, current Sales Director, has been appointed his successor. Stepping down from the role at the end of December 2020, Dave will hand over the reins to Neil to take the business into its next phase of development. With significant experience in the fenestration industry, Neil joined VEKA almost 4 years ago from VELUX where he spent 10 years as their UK Sales Director and prior to that some years as their Operations Director. During his time at VEKA plc, Neil has reshaped the Sales & Customer Service function, taking on added responsibility for Commercial & Technical departments since joining. Neil comments; “VEKA plc is a great business with huge potential and I’m honoured to be leading the business forward in our next phase of growth. Being part of the broader VEKA Group, a worldwide organisation, with a host of industry leading products and services, a fantastic team and some great initiatives in development; I’m thrilled to be given this opportunity. I consider myself fortunate to have a strong leadership team already in place, thanks to Dave’s legacy, and I’m

www.glassnews.co.uk | November 2020

CAREERS & QUALIFICATIONS IN FENESTRATION

looking forward to working with them as we make this great business even greater!” Andreas Hartleif, VEKA Group CEO comments; “I am delighted that Neil has accepted the position of Managing Director for VEKA plc; his experience coupled with his proven capability give me every faith that he will successfully lead the UK organisation into the future.” Throughout the last quarter of 2020, Dave and Neil will work together to ensure that there’s a seamless transition in leadership during what has been a tumultuous year for VEKA and indeed for us all as we look to best manage the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the challenges that came with lockdown, Purplex, the leading fullservice marketing agency in the building products and construction industry, has flourished over the past few months and welcomed five new members to its team.

welcome Kate, Paige, Laea, Martyn and Benjamin to the company, and I’m certain they’ll be positive additions to the team.

Former luxury car marketing executive Paige Sharman joins as a new Content Creator, while digital marketer Kate Hitchens has joined the Organic Search SEO team. And with a BSc Hons in Applied Computing, Benjamin Debreceni is the latest recruit to join the web department team as a Software Application Developer.

“We are proud to be growing and developing our team,” says Andrew. “Whilst other companies are downsizing, we are recruiting the best talent.

With a passion for IT, Martyn East joins Purplex as a Client Services Executive, while former news reporter and magazine journalist Laea Marshall joins the company as a PR Copywriter. All five are based at the award-winning PR, digital marketing and creative agency’s state-of-the-art headquarters just outside Bristol. Andrew Scott, the agency’s Managing Director, comments: “We are delighted to

“A national lockdown due to coronavirus has led many businesses to worry about their future, but while other companies have been cutting back on costs and customer support, we are investing to recruit, train and develop our marketing, media and tech teams.” According to Andrew, Purplex is on a major recruitment drive currently and will be hiring even more talented people in the coming weeks and months.

“My logic is simple – if we deliver even better results and service for our customers, they win, and then we win.” Purplex Marketing was founded in 2004 by Andrew Scott, who previously worked in a number of successful businesses in the building products and home improvement sectors. Since its establishment, Purplex has grown by at least 34% every year and now boasts a large clientele of customers located throughout the UK and Europe. For more information, visit www.purplexmarketing.com or call 01934 808132.

Dave added; “Having been part of VEKA plc for the past 26 years, I will miss the business and its people greatly, however I leave knowing the business is in very capable hands.” Tel: 01282 725391 – www.veka.co.uk

Purplex New Starters (Left to Right) - Paige Sharman, Martyn East, Laea Marshall, Kate Hitchens and Benjamin Debreceni

CAREERS & QUALIFICATIONS IN FENESTRATION

The UK’s Leading Glass & Glazing Newspaper

NEW APPOINTMENTS

VEKA RECYCLING MAKES KEY APPOINTMENTS AS HQ BUILD NEARS COMPLETION

Alex Hamilton

As construction of the company’s new purpose-built Wellingborough headquarters site nears completion, VEKA Recycling Ltd has made two key appointments in preparation for the firm becoming fully operational early in 2021. Paul Smith

Alex Hamilton takes the reins as Head of Sales & Marketing for VEKA Recycling, joining from the waste management industry in which he helped organisations to utilise innovative technology solutions to better manage waste. Previously Alex led teams focused on working with customers to reduce cost through improved waste segregation. Married, with a stepson and pet Labrador, Alex says that he was attracted to VEKA Recycling by the new promise of the site becoming the most advanced of its type in Europe when it comes on stream early in 2021: “I have always been intrigued by the use of advanced technology in waste management processes,” says Alex, “and the ground-up build by VEKA Recycling incorporates all of the latest processes. It will be rewarding to share this with all of our stakeholders.” Alex is joined by Paul Smith who becomes Head of Logistics, another role crucial to the slick operation of a plant that has been designed and built from the ground up with the purpose of producing the highest quality recycled PVC-U compound available.

A senior manager with over 25 years in the waste and recycling sector, Paul offers experience in sales, operations and logistics, having been a successful Depot Manager for many years. Paul was also attracted by the prospect of having a pivotal role in an operation that sets out to redefine recycling: “I was impressed by the company’s commitment to revising perceptions of the recycling industry, by setting new standards for operational excellence and finished product.” Paul is married and has two children, both of whom attend university. VEKA Recycling Managing Director Simon Scholes says that just as the company has been insistent upon installing the best recycling and extrusion systems available, the company is also committed to attracting the very best people to run them: “The standards that we will set when the new plant is fully commissioned in the New Year will be achieved and maintained by having the right people to make everything run as well as it possibly can be. Alex and Paul have all of the qualities that we need to fulfil our lofty ambitions for the company.”

November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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05/08/2020 09:01

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November 2020 | www.glassnews.co.uk

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